Antique Grandfather Clock Controlled with Electronics

The functionality of a clock from the 1800s can be duplicated with electronics very easily. If, however, you want to actually retrofit an antique clock to be controlled with electronics, things become much more complicated. David Henshaw did just that, and purchased a clock without the internal movement to be replaced with an Arduino Uno.

While may sound simple, looking inside his clock tells a different story. An LCD display, along with a series of LED lights act as a user interface, and Henshaw had to use four shift registers to give the board enough IO to control everything. All of this is wired into three breadboards, which were used instead of a PCB as he was making up the circuit as he went along.

The clock uses a series of small stepper motors to actuate the clock hands, as well as a dial for moon phase and date. Additionally, in order to simulate the characteristic tick-tock that you expect from this type of clock, he uses two solenoids to produce this sound. The clock even features a chime assembly that works via a series of cams. He outlines what went into his build here, and even provides Arduino code for it if you’d like to try something similar. Be sure to check it out in the video below!