overview
The Ripple Clock embodies simplicity and elegance, combining natural materials with innovative mechanics. Its woodturned face highlights the organic beauty of natural wood grain, carefully shaped to mimic the gentle concentric ripples of water. The centerpiece design is both calming and visually dynamic, inviting viewers to pause and appreciate its texture.
approach
Instead of traditional hour and minute hands, "levitating" steel balls trace the ripple patterns, guided by hidden magnets at the back of the clock. These floating orbs follow the curves of the ripples, creating a mesmerizing display of movement and time. The design seamlessly blends minimalistic aesthetics with a touch of playful engineering, making the Ripple Clock as much an art piece as it is a functional object.
sketch
Inspired by the Japanese design philosophy of hodo-hodo, as exemplified by the Muku clock, I set out to create my own woodturned clock. To infuse it with my personal touch, I experimented with grooves and organic patterns, drawing inspiration from water ripples.
While turning, the grooves sparked an idea—what if they could double as tracks for marble coasters? This, combined with memories of quirky magnetic watches I’d seen, inspired me to pivot my design. I challenged myself to create a clock where floating steel balls, guided by hidden magnets, follow the grooves, blending craftsmanship with playful engineering.
inner mechanism
Before turning to stepper motors and programming rotational x-y coordinates to control the magnets behind the clock face, I aimed to explore a simpler, more ingenious approach inspired by Dyson’s philosophy of creating magic through clever design. By attaching magnets to the tips of traditional clock hands and positioning them close enough to the faceplate, I was confident I could achieve the illusion of levitating steel balls with an intricate yet frictionless working prototype.
CAD model of all inner components (left to right): Clock Face, Minute Hand, Hour Hand, Clock Mechanism Mount, Clock Body
prototyping
The clock was designed for easy assembly and disassembly without the need for tools. Using calipers and a process of trial and error to achieve precise press-fit tolerances with the clock mechanism, I created all the parts in Onshape and 3D printed them. Initially, accessing the clock mechanism proved cumbersome, so I redesigned its mount to be easily removable. This change not only improved accessibility but also reduced the number of parts I needed to reprint during design iterations.
An unexpected challenge arose in sourcing “impure” stainless steel balls. High-quality stainless steel, with lower iron content, turned out to be less magnetic than necessary. Since most products on Amazon advertise as pure stainless steel, I relied on customer reviews—specifically complaints—to identify balls with sufficient magnetic properties for my application.
The most significant hurdle was fine-tuning the distance between the hour hand and the ball to maximize magnetic pull. Placing the hour hand behind the minute hand required minimizing the thickness of the minute hand while maintaining its structural integrity. The design needed to be strong enough to handle the moment of the magnet, resist the magnetic pull toward the AA battery, and keep all components separated to eliminate friction. Balancing these factors pushed the design to its limits but ultimately resulted in a functional and innovative prototype.
I wood turned the clock face
The hour ball doesn't have enough magnetic pull to spin and eventually falls off. This was fixed by minimizing the distance of the magnet from the front.
final thoughts
After sanding, filling the 3D print grooves with wood filler, and spray-painting the body, the clock achieves a sleek and polished look. I added a slot at the bottom for easy disassembly, allowing users to conveniently replace the batteries.
