John Taylor’s Chronophage

Join us every Wednesday as we survey the horological landscape around the world. From museums in Switzerland to sundials in India, we’ll be drawing attention to locations that ought to be on every horologists list of places to visit. View all entries here.

Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom

As far as horological hotspots go, the Corpus Clock & Chronophage is easily one of the youngest. Among ancient water clocks and sundials, Renaissance-era time-tellers and ornate musical clocks dating back hundreds of years, the Corpus Clock sticks out as a very modern art form. Located in Cambridge in the UK, it was created by British inventor and horologist, John C Taylor, in 2008. It has since drawn much acclaim, most notably being named one of the Best Inventions of 2008 by Time.

The Corpus Clock & Chronophage cuts an imposing figure on the exterior wall of Cambridge University’s Corpus Christi College, of which Taylor is an alumnus. The Clock’s appearance is quite extraordinary, with its 1.5-metre gold face and ripples that appear to radiate from the centre. But these aren’t simply design choices; the circular waves are said to reflect the Big Bang, or the beginning of time. The Corpus Clock functions in a particularly unique way, too. Instead of utilising hands to tell the time, it features three rings of LED lights. Each ring represents hours, minutes and seconds, starting from the centre and moving outwards. It’s not always accurate and you may even spot the odd technical glitch, but Taylor says this is intentional – it is meant to show that life isn’t always perfect, either.

Atop the Corpus Clock is the Chronophage (a name derived from Ancient Greek that effectively means ‘time-eater’). Sinister in both alias and appearance, the time-eater is a ghoulish grasshopper that appears to ‘eat’ the clock while acting as its primary gear. True to Taylor’s employment of symbolism, the grasshopper is there to remind us that time cannot be gotten back.

Much like a striking clock and in line with Taylor’s sobering sentiment, the Corpus Clock imparts an audible and ominous signal on the hour. Exactly what that sound is, though, you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

Location: 58 Trumpington St, Cambridge CB2 1RH, United Kingdom

Hours of Operation: Free and accessible by the public 24/7

[Banner Image: Tour de France passing the Chronophage, source]