Clock that physically writes the time created by a Japanese art student

This amazing creation was all over the internet a few weeks ago. I neglected to post about it. I feel that I should do so in case you missed it and because it is possibly the most incredible mechanical device that I have seen anyone make in recent history.

The project, called Plock, was created by art student Suzuki Kango as his senior thesis project. It contains more than 400 wooden parts that control four arms which write out the time on a magnetic drawing pad every minute. The board pushes forward when the time is written, then drops back again. This is a clever way to control the Z-axis. The arms need only be capable of moving in the X and Y axes.

The four large weights suggest that it is weight-driven. There appears to be a balance wheel in the bottom portion, so perhaps that is how it actually tells time. It doesn't seem to be moving at all times however, so this is not clear to me.

The whole thing is made of wood, too! Just astonishing.

There are more images of the writing clock on this web site (text in Japanese).

[ Thanks to Charles and all who suggested I post about this! ]

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Automaton clock depicts the goddess Diana on her chariot

Take a look at this antique automaton clock which depicts the goddess Diana on her chariot. The piece -- made around 1610 in Augsburg, Germany -- was recently recovered from storage. The automaton is made from gilt bronze and silver with an enameled dial. The case is ebony and gilt bronze and the movement itself is iron and brass. What a find!

From the video description:

Probably drawing inspiration from contemporary prints, the clock portrays the Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana, on a chariot pulled by two leopards. Precious clocks like this were collaborative enterprises among goldsmiths, sculptors, clockmakers, engravers, and even cabinetmakers. They were important status symbols in European courts, representative of the most cutting-edge technology of their time, and they were often used as diplomatic gifts. This clock—which has been recently restored and is now on view in the European art galleries—is also a table carriage, a lavish form of tabletop entertainment during banquets. This short video unveils the highly sophisticated inner mechanism of the clock, delicate parts that are otherwise hidden from view and are remarkably still in tact.

In the video above, we get a sampling of the movements and sounds the clock makes when wound and set running, including the Diana figure shooting her bow. Rare and valuable devices such as this were often used as entertainment by the elites of time. This one may well have been incorporated into a game played at the dinning table.

On loan from Yale University Art Gallery, the automaton clock is part of The Luxury of Time: European Clocks and Watches exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Via a post on Hyperallergic

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A Waste of Time - a kinetic sculpture by Randall Cleaver

Here is a fun kinetic piece by Randall Cleaver that features posable artist's hands playing with the classic Slinky toy.

From the video description:

This is my newest found object clock. It is called "A Waste of Time". I used an Arduino micro controller to activate a stepper motor that will turn the sand glasses once a minute. The case is an old gas heater I found at Community Forklift in Maryland.

See more fascinating kinetic works on Randall Cleaver's YouTube Channel.

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Amazing wrist-worn kinetic sculptures: not your average wristwatches!

Сюжет на японском телеканале NHK

Я и Thomas Prescher

Posted by Valerii Danevych on Tuesday, June 30, 2015

I can't understand much of what is said in this video, but it hardly matters because there are some amazing works of wrist-worn kinetic art. The first half shows what looks to be wristwatches made largely of wood and perhaps bone. The second half focuses on a maker of high-end watches featuring unique uses of the tourbillon. The final products are quite different, but equally amazing.

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Beautiful miniature musical automata to be sold at Sotheby's in June

Here is a beautifully produced video showing three miniature musical automata to be sold at Sotheby's upcoming sale. The three pieces represent a sampling of a larger collection that was amassed over five decades. They report that the collection has not seen since the late 1970s. Among those shown, two of the automata are by the famous automaton-maker, Jaquet-Droz who is known for creating the three large, complex automata known as The Writer, The Draftsman, and The Musician.

Here is where you can get more information about Sotheby's sale of musical automata on June 11th in New York.

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Reproduction of a clock kit based on a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci

Here's snap-together kit that allows you to make a working model clock based on one of Leonardo's sketches. The clock uses a horizontal rotary pendulum design commonly known as a verge and foliot. The clock's speed is controlled by adjusting the weight and balance of the pendulum. It can be assemble in either a wall-mounted or standing configuration. The parts are plastic from the looks of it, but it's an attractive piece nevertheless.

Here is where you can get the Academy da Vinci Clock.

For more on clock escapements, check out Practical Clock Escapements by Laurie Penman. With over 400 line drawings the reader is taken step-by-step through the various operations when making or repairing escapements, with recommendations on the materials and tools to be used.

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"Serpina" -- an electromechanical wooden rolling ball clock by Christopher Blasius

Christopher Blasius wrote to let us know about his latest creation: an electromechanical wooden rolling ball clock. Check it out!

From the creator:

I have designed a new clock. Her name is "Serpina" and it's a electromechanical rolling ball clock. Instead of a pendulum, a ball rolls down an inclined plane, which takes 20 seconds. Then the seesaw then tips in the opposite direction and the process begins again.

For more information please visit his website at http://www.holzmechanik.de.

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The man killed by an automaton -- one of history's strangest deaths

The BBC News Monitor site is relaying the story of a man who was accidentally killed by a clock jack -- the figures that strike the bell in large tower clocks -- back in 1876. What a way to go.

Here is where you can read the article Victorian strangeness: The man killed by an automaton.

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Antique Black Forest clock with figure playing the trumpet

Many beautiful clocks where produced in the Black Forest region of Germany. The good folks over at J. Miller & Sons Antiques are offering one such example made around the turn of the century. I love this clock.

From the clock description page:

The trumpeter figure is carved from wood and retains its original paint. He has a trumpet in his mouth and a keg of beer over his shoulder. He calls at the full and half hours for another round of refreshment.

Here is where you can learn more about this Black Forest Shelf 3 Horn Trumpeter Clock.

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Homemade mechanical rolling ball pendulum clock

Check this thing out! It's a mechanical rolling ball clock made from scratch.

From the video description:

The clock runs for 12 hours, driven by a weight of 2.5 kg sinking approx. 1 meter during that time. Every minute a marble is lifted up and goes down a marble run with three flipping traps that count marbles for minutes, five-minute-steps and hours. The timekeeping element is a second-pendulum with a pinwheel escapement. The clock achieves a drift of less than 1 second per day.

The clock is made of wood, some plastic gears, brass and steel wire, and an old flat iron. Here is where you can see stereoscopic photographs of the clock.

The clock is not unlike the Can You Imagine Time Machine Tabletop Clock. This clock has a battery-operated motor which lifts a steel ball bearing onto a concentric track at regular intervals. The ball then moves with others on a slow downward course, both halted and propelled by see-saws that tip when correctly weighted. The time can be read by observing the numerals that the balls are aligned with - hours and minutes are both indicated.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Video of Clayton Boyer's marble strike movement

Take a look at this fascinating mechanism designed by wooden clock designer, Clayton Boyer. The marbles are lifted such that they count out an ever-increasing number of hours.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Incredible life-sized peacock automaton by James Cox created in 1777

The folks over at the amazing Atlas Obscura blog did a great round-up of animal themed automata the other day. Among them was this life size peacock automaton created in 1777 by James Cox. The automaton is The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

From the video description:

Peacock clock at the State Hermitage Museum in Russia. Made in the 18th century by James Cox, an English clock maker, and sold to Potemkin (a favorite of the Catherine the Great) as spare parts. It took 9 years for a Russian mechanic named Ivan Kulibin to put it together again. Well worth it. It is run only once a year during June to preserve the mechanism, so you have very few chance to see it work. Made of gilded bronze silver and glass, it measures 3 meters in height. The dial of the clock is embedded into the head of a mushroom with a dragonfly moving on top to indicate the time.

Here is the full article at Atlas Obsura titled Five Astounding Animal Automata.

[ Thanks Falk! ]

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'Make Your Own Working Paper Clock' book documented in stop-motion animation

As if it wouldn't require enough patience to complete the Make Your Own Working Paper Clock book/kit, here is the entire process documented in old-school stop-motion animation! I can't get over how long this must have taken! This film gives you a wonderful feel for what completing the project is like. You get to see every piece form, then self-assemble into the finished clock. This is quite an accomplishment on several levels.

Here is where you can buy your own copy of the book Make Your Own Working Paper Clock

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Kinetic art by Dolf Perenti uses a fascinating wood escapement

Check out this lovely kinetic sculpture by Dolf Perenti. The various hardwoods and high-grade plywood are combined to form a mechanism called an escapement. These are the heart and soul of clocks. I'm going to let Wikipedia explain escapements further:

An escapement is a device in mechanical watches and clocks that transfers energy to the timekeeping element (the "impulse action") and allows the number of its oscillations to be counted (the "locking action"). The impulse action transfers energy to the clock's timekeeping element (usually a pendulum or balance wheel) to replace the energy lost to friction during its cycle, to keep the timekeeper oscillating. The escapement is driven by force from a coiled spring or a suspended weight, transmitted through the timepiece's gear train. The escapement releases the tooth of a gear, which therefore changes from a "locked" state to a "drive" state until the opposite arm strikes another tooth on the gear, which locks the gear again. A clock's tick is the sound of the gear train stopping as the escapement locks. The gear train is accelerated and decelerated with each tick of the clock. This locking action of the escapement allows each cycle of the timekeeping element to be counted. During each cycle the escapement permits a gear train to advance or escape slightly. The periodic advancement results in moving the timepiece's hands forward at a steady rate. This starting and stopping accounts for most of the energy usage from the spring or weight when a clock is in good working order.

I'm not sure if the one shown here is an esoteric form of escapement or something the artist invented himself. Either way, it's beautifully made and captivating!

If you want to learn more about escapements, Laurie Penman's book Practical Clock Escapements comes highly recommended. I need to get a copy myself, actually.

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Fantastic musical automaton clock of an elephant worth £1.4 million

Check out this ormolu musical automaton clock by Peter Torckler. The piece was part of an auction held at Sotheby's in July of 2012. This beautiful machine is dated to around 1780 and was intended for a market in China with whom London had developed an impressive trade relationship. The piece was estimated to be worth £1,000,000 to £2,000,000 prior to the auction and found a buyer right in the middle of the range at £1.4 million.

A bejeweled whirligig spins above the animal. Below that, a figure of the Greek god Atlas, holds up a rotating sphere of the heavens. The elephant figure sits on a rockwork base inset with the clock dial. The automaton depicts an Asian elephant whose trunk, eyes, ears, and tail all move in appropriate ways. Below that, a small animated scene depicts falling water, tiny windmills, and spinning waterwheels. The musical movement, which will play a choice of six tunes, is hidden within the lower section.

[ Thanks Thomas! ]

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Wall-mounted wooden marble machine with weight-driven escapement

Derek Hugger wrote in to say that he has spent the past few months designing a fully mechanical marble machine. Titled Kinestrata, the assembly is driven by a 2 1/2 pound weight via the classic Graham Escapement -- named for George Graham (1673-1751)an English clockmaker and inventor who is thought to have created it around 1715.

Kinestrata measures 11 x 17 x 5 inches and contains some 386 parts. The balls roll down 4 unique tracks and are lifted back to the top of the machine by 3 geared lifter rings. Hugger says that it took roughly 400 hours to design and build! Plans should be available for it in the next month or two. We'll keep you posted!

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Black Forest flute clock circa 1770 features blackbird automaton

Justin Miller of Blackforestclocks.org sent this video along. This musical clock was made in the Black Forest region around 1770. The piece features a blackbird automaton. The movement plays 5 different birdsong-themed songs at the top of the hour, while the blackbird figure moves from left to right and opens and closes its beak as if singing the tune.

For more information on this type of clock, you will want to check out Miller's outstanding book Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks. Among the most comprehensive volumes ever produced on the subject, this large format book features over 700 images showcasing the finest examples of clocks made in the Black Forest region.

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Knitting clocks redefine the way we measure time: 1 scarf = 1 year

What you are looking at in the photo above are pieces by designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen. As you might guess by the title of this post, these unconventional timepieces knit with actual yarn. Over the course of days and months, time is measured in row upon row of knitting. In 365 days, the clock will produce a scarf approximately 2 meters long.

According to her web site, "Her aim is to make functional and sustainable design with personality and humour; products that challenge the meeting between man and his surroundings and that offer a new kind of interaction with them." I would have say that she was entirely successful with this design, redefining how we measure time, what a meaningful length of time might be, and creating something useful in the process -- an tangible reminder of a year gone by to wrap around one's neck on a cold day.

See more designs by Siren Elise Wilhelmsen on her web site.

[ Thanks Glenn! ]

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Marie Antoinette's clock and automaton to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Nemours Mansion and Gardens in Wilmington Delaware recently prepared a very special musical tall case clock for journey to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for a rare temporary exhibit starting at the end of this month. The clock is remarkable, as is its history.

Details about the clock from Steve Ryder:

This rare clock was made for Marie Antoinette c.1785, and it plays an organ and a dulcimer combined. Its case was made in the workshop of the German cabinetmakers Roentgen, who catered to the French Court, amongst others. The clock itself and portions of the musicwork are from the hands of Peter Kinzing of Neuwied, Germany. The musical mechanism was restored by my brother Jere Ryder with Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume in 1997, and ever since then, this clock has served as the musical show-stopper on museum tours of the Nemours Mansion, former home of the late Alfed I. DuPont. Jere was called in to prepare the clock for shipment.

The exhibition at The Met is entitled, Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens. It will feature some of the greatest works by Abraham Roentgen (1711-1793) and his son David Roentgen (1743-1807).

The exhibition will also feature an Automaton of Queen Marie Antoinette (1784), depicting a likeness of the queen at a clavichord. The automaton will be set in motion at select times during the exhibition.

The special exhibition will run from October 30, 2012 through January 27, 2013 at the Metropolitan.

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Restored Black Forest clock with shaving monkey automaton

Here is an early Black Forest clock recently restored by Kevin Wright. Information on piece the is nonexistent -- or at the very least, extremely hard to find. To make the restoration even more of a challenge, the clock's automaton was missing many pieces.

When Wright received the clock the monkey was missing his right arm and hand, his left foot, mirror, razor. He was also missing his eyes. The clock didn't have the typical worm governor, so the speed could not be controlled. Wright knew he had only about 9 seconds of motion to work with and decided to have the monkey shave his chin,look in a mirror, and scream/smile. The cam shaft, cams, second wheel and all of his linkages all had to be reverse-engineered and fabricated. Brilliant work!

For more on unusual Black Forest Clocks like this shaving monkey, be sure to check out and order a copy of Justin Miller's new book, Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks. The book contains over 700 images showcasing the finest examples of clocks made in the region. It also explains the various mechanisms and guides collectors trying to identify individual clocks.

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