Low Poly/Low Cost - Elegant Vintage Wall Clock

Today we're going to make a low-cost vintage wall clock with spectacular finishes to complement your home's spaces, and best of all, it's made entirely of paper, so join me!

Paper/Cardboard

wall clock mechanism

Templates

Ruler

Worn ballpoint pen

Scissors

Cutter

Hot Glue/Glue

Blue fine art paper

The concept of measuring time has evolved enormously, and there is no single invention of "the clock." The earliest devices were sundials, invented around 3000 BC by the Egyptians and Chinese. The first known mechanical clock appeared in Europe in the late 10th century, and progress continued until the development of the pendulum clock in the 17th century, which became the standard for timekeeping.

Evolution of Clocks

Sundial: Considered the first method for telling time, it was invented around 3000 BC by civilizations such as the Egyptian and Chinese.

First Mechanical Clock: The first known mechanical clock is attributed to the Benedictine monk Gerbert of Aurillac (future Pope Sylvester II) towards the end of the 10th century. These early clocks were large and housed in towers.

Pendulum Clock: In 1656, the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens developed the first pendulum clock, which was much more accurate than previous mechanical clocks.

Wristwatch: The first wristwatch was created for Queen Caroline Murat in 1810.

Automatic Watch: In 1923, John Harwood invented the first automatic watch, which wound itself using only the wearer's movement.

The digital watch: Its history begins in 1956 with the Bulgarian Petar Ptrov, but the first digital wristwatch with an LED display was the Hamilton Pulsar, launched in 1972. They became popular in the 1970s thanks to LED displays.

Present: Smartwatches have become established as an extension of the smartphone, integrating advanced biometric functions (heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep analysis) and connectivity for communication and payments

My design starts from the most obvious imaginative aspect of time: the 12 hours, creating a simple yet impactful design for the observer. I decided to play with the shape of the sun using radial panels for each hour, and using a nighttime color like deep blue, but you are free to use whatever you want, perhaps a sunset orange or perhaps use more than one color.

I then worked on this design in Paper Maker to obtain the respective templates that will later be the guide for the physical assembly in 3 dimensions.

Here you can download the templates and then review step by step which one corresponds and guide you through the assembly.

For the clock, as I mentioned, I used a deep blue color that evoked starry nights.

Use good quality paper so that your watch has a sturdy structure.

Cut out the template shapes and glue them onto the colored paper

In my case, I decided that each piece should follow the same direction since my paper is textured and had some lines; the best thing was to adjust each template to the direction of these lines.

To do this, use the ruler to ensure that all the pieces are facing the same direction.

Repeat the same process for the other pieces shown in the images, which correspond to the inside of the vintage paper clock.

Then cut out separately the curved pieces, which form the outer edge of the clock.

Using the ruler and cutter, cut each piece completely. Note that you can use scissors, but since the molds are straight, I recommend using the cutter and ruler.

Each piece will have its internal guide numbers; this will help with a more organized assembly later on.

For the clock's edge, I used heavy-gauge white cardboard, but you can use any color combinations you prefer or make it a single color entirely.

Now, with the ruler and a worn-out pen, emboss the dotted lines to make it easier to fold and give the cardboard the curvature

The internal parts have folds that are shaped like valleys and mountains; check the images to guide you with these folds.

use a worn ballpoint pen and, with a ruler, press over it to form the fold.

In the images you can see how, by applying the folds, the flat mold takes on a three-dimensional shape, gaining volume and giving it form.

Cut the 12 connecting tabs and make the indicated folds.

Repeat all the processes performed with each mold: 4 internal, 4 external, and 12 connectors.

Once you have all the templates cut and folded, it will be time to glue all the tabs together.

When applying glue, be careful not to use too much, as it can overflow the edges and create unwanted clumps.

Use a small amount and distribute it evenly, avoiding clumps.

Seal each tab of each mold independently.

Each internal piece, when joined together, will form a diamond or heart shape.

glue the tabs of each piece separately.

You can always check the guide numbers to avoid mistakes, even though the pattern is symmetrical, there are some tabs that are hidden according to the clockwise direction.

After forming the tri-heart shape, attach the connectors as shown in the images.

By doing this, it will form the diamond, which corresponds to three hours on the clock.

If you join everything correctly you will have 4 diamonds, now you will have to glue the arc-shaped edges that will later be joined to form the edge of the watch

Glue each tab along the edge to avoid mistakes, and finally place the last 4 connectors according to the numbering.

We now have all 4 pieces that will form the entire clock, so make a very small cut at the corners so the clock mechanism can pass through.

Now join the 4 diamonds, first 2 and then the other two, creating 2 symmetrical pieces.

Finally, join those two pieces to create the complete circle that forms the clock, and join all the outer tabs to form the rim.

Now that the clock body is formed, it's time to install the mechanism.

For this specific design, I recommend a long-shaft (15/16") clock mechanism.

Conclusion:

Even though paper and cardboard are such delicate materials, I always enjoy working with them and pushing their boundaries. Creating simple pieces like this that can transform a space is something I find very fun.

Thanks for checking out my project.