TL;DR
Get business pricing on tools and workshop supplies
- Business-only prices and quantity discounts
- Tax-exempt purchasing
- Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
Niklas Roy has made a working pendulum clock from materials he scavenged locally during an artist residency in Glashütte, Germany. The clock runs for about half an hour and includes a paperclip escapement, a bottle gong and a chance-based feature Roy calls a “random complication.”
Berlin-based artist Niklas Roy has built a working pendulum clock from materials he gathered locally during an artist residency in Glashütte, Germany, a town associated with the country’s watchmaking industry. Named the Glashütte Trash Clock, the mechanical sculpture runs for about half an hour and uses a paperclip as its escapement.
Roy made the clock from items including tape, zip ties, hot glue, cardboard, a yardstick and pieces of plastic, according to a report by Colossal. The source describes the materials as items and objects he could scrounge locally. The clock also has a glass bottle gong and a feature Roy calls a “random complication,” which introduces chance into the timepiece.
An escapement is a mechanism used in many pendulum clocks to release a gear in steps as the pendulum moves, helping the clock advance its hands. The gong provides an audible signal. Colossal reports that Roy’s clock runs for about 30 minutes; the source does not provide measurements of its accuracy or explain how often it must be restarted.
The project’s name refers both to its materials and to Glashütte, in Saxony, where Roy took part in a residency in 2026. The town is known for watchmaking. Roy said he wanted his work to take the opposite approach to the precision and long-established craft associated with the place.
A Clock Built Against Local Tradition
The project sets a deliberately improvised mechanism against Glashütte’s reputation for precision watchmaking. Roy’s choice of scavenged materials and a paperclip escapement makes the construction itself part of the artwork: it demonstrates a way of assembling a working timepiece from readily available objects, rather than presenting the clock as a finely finished instrument.
Its short operating time also sets expectations. The reported half-hour run establishes that the clock functions, but the source does not describe it as a practical timekeeping device or give accuracy results. Its significance, on the information available, lies in the artistic contrast and in the mechanisms Roy chose to expose and adapt.
The “random complication” adds a further idea to the mechanical sculpture. Colossal says it answers the question “Now or Never?” through games and chance. That feature gives the piece a playful element, while the clock’s basic function still depends on the movement of a pendulum and escapement.
Top picks for "nikla construct functional"
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Residency in Watchmaking Country
Roy is a Berlin-based artist and inventor whose projects, as described by Colossal, bring together art and technology. The report mentions work involving robotics, gaming systems, sculptures and installations. The Glashütte clock continues that interest through a mechanical object built to mark the passage of time.
Glashütte is in Saxony and is associated with Germany’s watchmaking industry. Roy said the town’s connection to precision and centuries-old craft shaped his decision to make a clock in a contrasting style. He limited the project to materials he could find locally, according to the report.
The source identifies the work as Roy’s most recent project at the time of publication, following his residency in the town during 2026. It does not give the residency’s exact dates, describe where the clock is currently displayed, or provide a technical account of its construction.
““Glashütte is synonymous with precision and centuries-old watchmaking craft, and I wanted to make the opposite.””
— Niklas Roy
Accuracy and Display Details
The available report does not say how accurately the clock keeps time, how often it needs winding or resetting, or whether it has been tested over repeated runs. Its stated 30-minute operating time is approximate. The source also does not explain the mechanism behind the “random complication,” beyond linking it to games and chance and the question “Now or Never?”
It is also unclear where the clock is now, whether it will be shown publicly, or whether Roy plans to build further versions. These details are not given in the Colossal report.
Roy’s Work After the Residency
Colossal’s report points readers to Roy’s Instagram account to see more of his work, but it does not announce a later exhibition, a public demonstration or another milestone for the clock. No next presentation or development is confirmed in the source material. Further details about the clock’s display, operation and future would depend on an update from Roy or the residency organizers.
Key Questions
Who made the Glashütte Trash Clock?
Berlin-based artist and inventor Niklas Roy made the clock during an artist residency in Glashütte, Germany.
What materials did Roy use?
The report lists tape, zip ties, hot glue, cardboard, a yardstick and pieces of plastic, among other locally gathered objects.
How long does the clock run?
Roy said it runs for about half an hour. The source does not report how accurately it keeps time.
What is a paperclip escapement?
An escapement releases a clock’s gear in steps as the pendulum moves, helping advance the hands. Roy’s version uses a paperclip, according to the report.
What does the random complication do?
Roy describes it as a chance-based feature connected to games and the question “Now or Never?” The report does not explain its precise mechanism.
Source: rss
Fall yard work Picks
leaf blowers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
