Custom-Built Electromechanical GPS Clock Has Six Spinning Wheels, One Satellite Signal

James Clough set out to make a gift for a fellow YouTube machinist, but the end result looks like it belongs in a museum of unusual watches. He designed a clock with six massive numbered wheels for Toolroom Takeover 2026, an annual secret Santa exchange among artists who spend their days cutting metal. Stepper motors silently spin those wheels into place, while a GPS receiver automatically locks everything to the correct hour, minute, and second.

Cloughs claims that the finished contraption is the most beautiful, stupid thing he has ever created, and he meant it. The front of the item is a clean sheet of aluminum with six windows that display the numbers. Behind those holes are skeletonized wheels, each powered by its own NEMA 14 stepper motor. To keep the numbers straight, the motors are linked in opposite directions, eliminating the need for intricate couplings, which would most likely fail on a long voyage to Australia. Hall-effect sensors and tiny magnets buried in the wheels keep the controller aware of where each digit is, allowing it to determine how far to turn.

The operation’s brains, power, and smarts are housed on a special 4-layer circuit board that covers the full back of the clock. A Raspberry Pi pico processor reads the time from a small u-blox GPS module, translates it to the appropriate time zone, and delivers accurate step directions to six TMC2208 drivers. There is also a small display and two buttons that allow the owner to adjust the zone and switch between 12 and 24 hour formats. The motors operate at 24 volts, but a buck converter cuts the voltage to 5 volts for the logic side, and the entire system is quiet, tidy, and self-contained.

Clough began by creating a full 3D-printed prototype out of carbon-fiber PLA. Just to make sure the clearances and alignment were all correct. The registration characteristics on the plates prevented the wheels from going off course. After finishing the plastic version, he moved to 6061-T6 aluminum, cut the structural sections with a Masso controller, and cut the structural elements with his significantly modified Precision Matthews machine. The wheels themselves remained 3D-printed, but this time he utilized glass-filled ABS for increased strength and heat resistance. The hubs were printed solid to snugly grip the motor shafts after some reaming, and the magnets were placed in the wheels halfway through the print to sit exactly where the sensors needed them.

Assembly required some care, since the motor wires had to be routed precisely. The aluminum plates, which replaced the plastic ones, took about an hour. When the last screw was tightened and the GPS lock appeared on the screen, the wheels began turning with a smooth, almost hydraulic action. Clough even made two complete sets, one for himself and one as a backup in case shipment failed. Protecting the finished clock for the trip to Rowan of Not an Engineer was a small side project in and of itself. Flexible 3D-printed end covers hug the frame, keeping the weight off the delicate wheels and motor shafts. After that, all you had to do was wrap it in plastic wrap, foam, and a cardboard box.
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