CLOCKS IN ODD FIGURES SHOW MAKERS’ SKILL (Jan, 1924)
Source: Popular Mechanics ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jan, 1924
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CLOCKS IN ODD FIGURES SHOW MAKERS’ SKILL
Showing skill possessed by watch-makers long before members of this ancient craft had advantages of modern tools, a collection of old timepieces owned by an eastern jeweler, provides a n interesting contrast with similar creations of a machine age. Many clocks were framed in queer human figures. One was cleverly made in a suit of armor that moved the hands around the chest and opened and closed the eyes and mouth, at every hour. After five and a half years of labor, one man completed an odd mechanical clock containing 298 moving figures, carved from oak with a penknife. They depict various historical scenes. Experts say that the watches in this display of mechanics of a past day are marvels of art and workmanship.
This makes me think of the modern-day “casemod” phenomenon, where people try to stuff computers into the most ridiculous of items (some are cool, like the Humador PC, but most of them are just tacky and dumb). Thankfully, that fad seems to have died down (now that slimline PCs are much more commonplace), based on what’s on the front page at http://mini-itx.com/ these days.
Comment by fluffy — February 9, 2008 @ 1:14 pm