Vernier Clock
Time to the Nearest Minute
Pros
1. Same code as Lux
2. Simpler Engineering
a. No Satinice screen
b. No LED array
Challenges
1. Vernier Scale
a. Needs to be very precisely engraved/applied on rotating disc
b. Rotating disc needs to be precisely aligned with the other Vernier scale
How Does A Vernier Scale Work
A Vernier scale provides precision by the use of two "rulers" that move relative to each other. In this situation the rulers are follow the arc of a circle. The animation and time lapse below demonstrate how time can be resolved to the nearest 1 minute even though the clock face's divisions are spaced 10 minutes apart. At the top of each hour the hour hand points directly to the hour and none of the red divisions on the inside ruler are perfectly aligned with the 10 minute markings on the clock face. At 12:01 the red marking labeled :01 lines up with a blue 10 minute mark of the clock face. At any given time only 1 red mark is perfectly aligned with an opposing blue marking. At 12:05 the our hand is between :00 and :10 past 12:00 and now the 5th red marking aligns with a blue marking.
A brushed metal disc with a Vernier scale (green markings), driven by a stepper motor, makes a complete rotation once every 12 hours. A similarly brushed metal clock face is etched with hour markings and mounted to the wood case. This uses the same motor technology and coding as per Lux. I see two major challenges: 1) minimizing the gap between the rotating disc and clock face so that the Vernier scale aligns well (that's "just" engineering) and 2) How to apply markings, e.g., laser etchings, to the metal disc and clock face.
Time Lapse Showing 12:01 - 12:06
In the video below it may be easier to see the Vernier scale at work when you pause and then manually advance with the slider. You'll see that between the 10 minute markings on the clock face the Vernier scale sequentially aligns the 10 segments with an opposing mark on the clock face.
Ignore Below This Line
Use settings on this YouTube video to set speed at 0.25X and quality to 1080P.
Below are two examples of Vernier timepieces. In both examples the minute hand has been removed and the hour hand is replaced with a "wedge" on to which is printed a Vernier scale. The time shown on the left is 5:28.
"DABs Clocks is a unique business that focuses on finding ways to display time in unconventional ways. The goal is to create time pieces that are both functionally and aesthetically pleasing. Please explore the gallery and contact me if you have any questions.