Electromechanical "digital" clock on Kickstarter!

[MarkS]

I LOVE stuff like this! I had to share. I just wish I had the money to back it. This is beautiful. I'd paint the segments with glow in the dark paint.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rantoge-clock/rantogean-electromechanical-cam-clock-that-hears-the-time

[IanB]

They say it is a clock that "hears" the time, but I have no clue that that means and can see no explanation. It's weird.

[MarkS]

They say it is a clock that "hears" the time, but I have no clue that that means and can see no explanation. It's weird.

Yeah, that part is kind of odd. Considering that it's based in Hong Kong, it may just be a translational issue.

[tom66]

All I can think is that would be super easy to damage as there's no protective cover for the digits or the mechanical parts.    With a glass/acyrlic cover it would still look pretty good and the mechanism and parts would also stay relatively dust free.

[joeqsmith]

I had an electromechanical digital clock in the 70's.  It had several cards it would flip through with cards for the upper and lower part of the segments.   Something like attached image but with green lettering and a high tech computerish font of the times.   A cheap alternative to the new LED displays. 

It stopped working after a few years due to mechanical failure.   

[edavid]

They say it is a clock that "hears" the time, but I have no clue that that means and can see no explanation. It's weird.

It's Chinglish:

"During the working of Rantoge, the mechanical sound formed by the gear and cam rotation, and the metal digital board flipping makes the time can be heard and seen."

Just what you need when it's next to your bed 

[SiliconWizard]

Nice.

[cbutlera]

I had an electromechanical digital clock in the 70's.  It had several cards it would flip through with cards for the upper and lower part of the segments.   Something like attached image but with green lettering and a high tech computerish font of the times.   A cheap alternative to the new LED displays. 

It stopped working after a few years due to mechanical failure.

I was given a similar clock in the early 1970s too.  The Pifco Numero shown below.  I’ve still got it, and it has been running continuously since then.  I just oil it occasionally when it becomes noisy.  After more than 26 million flips the spring fingers restraining the hour and minute cards have worn down significantly.  As a result of this, the hour cards now flip one minute before they should, so 10:58 -> 11:59 -> 11:00.

[xrunner]

All I can think is that would be super easy to damage as there's no protective cover for the digits or the mechanical parts.    With a glass/acyrlic cover it would still look pretty good and the mechanism and parts would also stay relatively dust free.

Oh my ... yea my cat would have a field day with that thing ... 

[joeqsmith]

My bedroom when I was growing up with my old first ham radio (Halcrafters and National) with my green flip clock in the center. 

[jonpaul]

Not mech but kit, WWV lock by radio

Heathkit GC-1000 Most Accurate Clock circa 1980s

http://www.n8obj.com/Heathkit.html

Mechanical clock that will tick for 10,000 years? circa 2007

https://longnow.org/clock/

Jon