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It is needlessly provocative for the creator to claim it is a mechanical marvel and yet require blue LEDs for the clock to work at all. On the one hand why wou

It is needlessly provocative for the creator to claim it is a mechanical marvel and yet require blue LEDs for the clock to work at all. On the one hand why would this clock be tolerated if it was fraudulent — that is to say, not entirely mechanical? On the other hand, if the work is as much artistic as it is technical, then the creator must be applauded. Why not troll the unbelievers by making the most striking component of your ‘mechanical’ clock — the part that tells the time — be utterly and obviously not at all mechanical. There is a hint in the design that the concentric faces are some sort of circular vernier scale, but the way it is presented makes it seem like the creator very much wanted to give the impression that this is driven by blue electric lights. The aperiodic behaviour of the pendulum and grasshopper escapement seem a lot more interesting, but that mechanism is hidden from view. This is the level of hubris one must expect from someone with large amounts of money... “clock-you money”? Not that we’re picking teams but I’m more of a Long Now fan, myself.

donatj 5y ago
> It is needlessly provocative for the creator to claim it is a mechanical marvel and yet require blue LEDs for the clock to work at all. What? The face design is lit, many clocks are lit, but that's not intrinsic to the design. The clock could be perfectly functional with a different face design and doesn't affect the mechanics.
- gorgoiler 5y ago
  The visible parts of the illuminated elements are, I believe, completely static. Without the backlight shining through the internal mechanism you cannot tell the time. Moreover, the backlighting is so in-your-face that it requires the lay observer to do quite a bit of mental hopping around to align with the idea that this is a mechanical clock. It hardly goes out of its way to convince you it truly is mechanical.
  - Camillo 5y ago
    The blue leds actually add a further layer of symbolism, invoking impermanence and the flight of fashions. When they became widely available (early 2000s?), for a short time blue leds were a distinction for premium devices, but soon they started showing up on anything electronic. Then people realized that they were extremely annoying to have in your room, since they shine like searchlights at night, and their use as indicator lights declined. This clock was unveiled in 2008, which I think was already at the tail end of the blue led's popularity. The clock is meant to last at least 200 years, but that design choice pins it down mercilessly to a fad that was dated in a few short years.
- lmm 5y ago
  A large clock like this is an aesthetic work as much or more than a functional one, and a good design would make sure those aspects were consonant with each other.

donatj 5y ago

> It is needlessly provocative for the creator to claim it is a mechanical marvel and yet require blue LEDs for the clock to work at all. What? The face design is lit, many clocks are lit, but that's not intrinsic to the design. The clock could be perfectly functional with a different face design and doesn't affect the mechanics.

gorgoiler 5y ago
The visible parts of the illuminated elements are, I believe, completely static. Without the backlight shining through the internal mechanism you cannot tell the time. Moreover, the backlighting is so in-your-face that it requires the lay observer to do quite a bit of mental hopping around to align with the idea that this is a mechanical clock. It hardly goes out of its way to convince you it truly is mechanical.
- Camillo 5y ago
  The blue leds actually add a further layer of symbolism, invoking impermanence and the flight of fashions. When they became widely available (early 2000s?), for a short time blue leds were a distinction for premium devices, but soon they started showing up on anything electronic. Then people realized that they were extremely annoying to have in your room, since they shine like searchlights at night, and their use as indicator lights declined. This clock was unveiled in 2008, which I think was already at the tail end of the blue led's popularity. The clock is meant to last at least 200 years, but that design choice pins it down mercilessly to a fad that was dated in a few short years.
lmm 5y ago
A large clock like this is an aesthetic work as much or more than a functional one, and a good design would make sure those aspects were consonant with each other.