Water Clock by E.S. Nurse
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1968
This water-driven, pendulum-controlled clock was designed and constructed by Captain Edwin S. Nurse in 1968 in Heathmont, Victoria, Australia. Constructed as a retirement project by a former Royal Australian Navy mechanical engineer, the device utilizes basic materials, including aluminium sheet for the wheels, galvanized iron wire for bearings, and a plastic reservoir.
The mechanism operates via a horizontal pendulum that gains weight from water drops, which subsequently powers a ratchet-based gear train. The movement consists of three wheels, each with sixty teeth, which drive the hour and minute indicators. The clock functions without temperature compensation and consumes approximately 2.25 litres of water per day. The designer intended the mechanism to be replicable using simple hand tools, such as pliers, a soldering iron, and tin snips.
It is held in the Museums Victoria collection following its bequest in 1972.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Other clock
- Maker
- Captain Edwin S. Nurse
- Accuracy
- Approximately one minute per day
- Place recorded
- Australia
- Wheel material
- Aluminium
- Date of manufacture
- 1968
- Maker / attribution
- Captain Edwin S. Nurse
- Mechanism operation
- Water drop driven
- Registration number
- ST 29857
- Daily water consumption
- Approximately 2.25 litres
Design
- Visible features
- • Three gear wheels with sixty teeth each • Horizontal pendulum mechanism • Galvanized iron wire used for bearings • Plastic reservoir for water supply
- History and Provenance
- The clock was invented and constructed by Captain Edwin S. Nurse, a retired mechanical engineer from the Royal Australian Navy, in 1968. Based in Heathmont, Victoria, Nurse described his activities as those of a 'gadgeteer,' focusing on the creation of various mechanical devices during his retirement. The clock serves as a specific instance of his engineering work during this period. The object entered the collection at Museums Victoria in 1972, following a period of loan and a subsequent bequest from the maker. The museum documents the clock as a unique development in water-driven horological mechanisms, noting that, according to their research, the specific configuration of the pendulum drive and the gear train assembly does not correspond to other known timekeeping devices.
- Operational Characteristics
- The clock operates through a continuous water flow, which must be calibrated by adjusting the height of a valve-controlled reservoir. This adjustment ensures that the drop rate aligns with the frequency of the pendulum swings. Once the pendulum captures a water drop, the resulting weight shift provides the necessary energy to advance the gear train. The water is eventually collected in a lower discharge reservoir, utilizing surface tension to complete the cycle. Performance is reported as being accurate to approximately one minute per day. The device does not feature any form of temperature compensation, meaning its performance is subject to environmental fluctuations. The clock requires a daily replenishment of approximately two and a quarter litres of water to maintain its functional state.
- Mechanical Construction and Design
- The clock is built from readily available, repurposed materials, reflecting the designer's intent that the device could be reproduced in a domestic setting using standard hand tools. The primary structural components consist of aluminium sheet for the wheels and bent galvanized iron wire for the spindle bearings. A rubber tube connects a primary water container to a constant-level reservoir, which delivers individual water drops to the end of a horizontal pendulum. The pendulum's downward motion, prompted by the weight of the water, triggers a ratchet that drives the gear train. Once the drop is discharged, the pendulum resets. The transmission system is composed of three wheels, each featuring sixty teeth, which operate the clock hands via cams and ratchets. The bearings are designed to roll rather than rub to minimize friction during operation.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Claim of being unique in the world
- Research required: Accuracy statement of one minute per day