Niklas Roy Builds Working Pendulum Clock from Found Trash in Glashütte

Berlin-based artist and inventor Niklas Roy created a functional pendulum clock using only scavenged local materials, including tape, zip ties, hot glue, cardboard, a yardstick, plastic fragments, and other discarded objects. Titled "Glashütte Trash Clock," the piece takes its name from the Saxon town of Glashütte, Germany, where Roy completed a residency this year. Glashütte is historically synonymous with precision watchmaking and centuries-old craft; Roy deliberately pursued the opposite approach. The clock runs for approximately half an hour and incorporates a paperclip escapement, a glass bottle gong, and what Roy calls a "random complication" that poses the question "Now or Never?" An escapement, common in pendulum clocks, is a mechanism that releases a gear as it moves to advance the hands. The gong is the acoustic element typically struck hourly or on the half-hour. The random complication, however, is not a traditional clock feature—it introduces an element of games and chance. While time is usually perceived as steady and predictable, this addition creates playful tension and a sense of wonder. Roy's broader practice spans robotics, gaming systems, and mechanical contraptions that explore intersections of creativity, science, and technology, often with a lighthearted twist encouraging critical engagement. His work can be seen on Instagram under the handle royrobotiks. The project was featured by Colossal, an independent arts publication, in September 2026.