2. This timekeeper, which sits atop the
information booth in Grand Central
Station's main concourse, just rang in its
100th birthday (that's 73,000 rotations of
those hands in case you're counting).
Featured in plenty of postcards,
Hollywood blockbusters and real-life
marriage proposals, the timepiece is
topped with a compass and was
originally built by Connecticut-based
Seth Thomas Clock Company.The
clock's four faces are made of opal,
surrounded by brass and illuminated by
lights, making it somewhat of a beacon
amid the crowd of hurried passengers
darting toward train gates. "Meet me
under the clock" - a phrase uttered by
countless movie stars and punctual train
passengers - is a household saying in
this city, understood by residents and
tourists alike.
3. The Floral Clock does more than keep
time - it keeps changing. Inspired by a
similar clock in the Princes Street
Gardens in Edinburgh, the clock was
built in 1950 by Ontario Hydro and is the
subject of almost as many photos as its
high-profile neighbour - Niagara Falls.
Its 40-foot face features 15,000 to 20,000
seasonal plants and flowers, arranged in
an intricate design that changes twice a
year.The Floral Clock sits on top of its
mechanism, motor and power source,
and is regularly inspected for accuracy.
It's accompanied by chimes from the
tower at the back of the display, which
also houses photos of nearly every floral
design that has adorned the clock's face.
The timepiece features hands made of
stainless steel tubing that weigh an
impressive 1,250 pounds, and a water
garden at the base of the clock filled
with coins from wish-makers.
4. This medieval astronomical clock was
installed in 1410 and is situated on the
southern wall of the Old Town City Hall
in Prague's Old Town Square. Far from a
traditional timepiece, the clock has an
astronomical dial that shows the position
of the sun and moon, and a calendar dial
marking the date, which displays
medallions of each zodiac sign
representing the months of the year.
Each hour, on the hour, wooden figures
of the 12 apostles and other sculptures
move through a window above the
astronomical dial.The structure is
thought to be the third oldest
astronomical clock in the world and the
oldest one still operating.The unique
figurine show makes this a popular stop
for visitors.
5. Though not exactly a clock, the
SamratYantra - or supreme
instrument - is the largest sundial
in the world, measuring more
than 88 feet in height. Made of
marble and local stone with a
gnomon that stands at 90 feet, this
time-keeping attraction can tell
accurate time, with just a two-
second margin of error, day or
night.The sundial and the
observatory where it's located
were commissioned in 1728 by
the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II.
The movement of a shadow cast
on the sundial is highly visible, as
it shifts at a rate of six centimetres
per minute. Observers can climb
a flight of stairs on the gnomon to
check the time from above.
6. This timepiece is the public face of
Greenwich Mean Time and serves as a
symbol of standardized time keeping.
The clock is mounted on the wall outside
the gate of the Royal Greenwich
Observatory, which is home to the
Greenwich Meridian Line, marking the
Prime Meridian of the World at zero
degrees longitude. All other locations on
Earth are measured using this line as a
reference point. Installed by Charles
Shepherd in 1852, the clock features the
24-hour analogue dial and was an early
example of an electric clock. Controlled
by a master clock inside the building, it's
part of a series of timepieces that first
operated by sending electrical signals
to a clock at London Bridge, which then
transferred pulses to other clocks
throughout England.
7. This digital timekeeper brings new
meaning to the age old act of "rocking
around the clock." Situated on a giant
ferries wheel - once the largest ferries
wheel in the world - at Yokohama Cosmo
World, Cosmo Clock 21 is the world's
largest clock standing at 369 feet tall.
This carnival ride-clock combo was
originally built for a 1989 exposition and
still transforms into a light show of sorts
at night with striking patterns of neon
lights moving along its spokes. And, yes,
you can in fact rock around this clock;
the ferries wheel has 60 seats and can
hold about 480 people at a time. One
rotation takes 15 minutes (timed to the
millisecond) and gives passengers a
panoramic view ofYokohama.
8. This ticker takes top place when it
comes to many world records.
Completed in 2011, it's now the tallest
clock tower in the world (towering
almost 2,000 feet over the holy mosque
of Mecca), houses one of the tallest
hotels in the world (Fairmont's 76-story
Makkah Clock Royal Tower), and boasts
the world's largest clock face (140 feet
wide). A spire on top of the clock also
makes this the second tallest building in
the world, outdone only by Burj Khalifa
in Dubai.The four clock faces shine
green at night, and are reportedly
visible from about 15 miles away. But
telling time isn't this clock's only task - it
also marks daily prayers with calls
announced to the Muslim world from the
tower's loudspeakers that are audible
four miles away.
9. When you visit the Cevahir Shopping
Center, don't forget to look up. Situated
on the nearly 27,000 square feet of
transparent ceiling is the second largest
clock in the world.The face of the
timepiece measures more than 118 feet
in diameter and features a mesmerizing
geometric pattern. Each digit displayed
- only the three, six, nine and 12 - stands
at 10 feet tall. Every year, millions of
visitors flock to the mall that houses the
clock - also known as Sisli Culture and
Trade Center.The shopping centre
opened in 2005 and is the largest
shopping mall in Europe with multiple
performance spaces as well as a small
roller coaster inside
10. No list of clocks would be complete without
mention of the Great Clock that's part of Big
Ben. Attached to the Palace of Westminster, this
famous clock tower was installed in 1859 and
remains one of London's most popular
attractions.Whether you're walking by or
taking a spin on the London Eye, simply
catching a glimpse of Big Ben's elaborate,
majestic design and hearing the Great Bell
chime on time make for an awe-inspiring
experience.The name "Big Ben" technically
refers specifically to the Great Bell inside the
tower, but often serves as a catch-all term for
the clock, bell and tower. Featuring four faces
and a 683-pound pendulum, the clock's 13.7-
foot-long minute hands travel the equivalent of
118 miles per year.Twenty-eight 85-watt
energy efficient light bulbs now keep each of
Big Ben's clock dials shining bright each night.
A Latin inscription sits beneath each face:
"Domine Salvam fac Reginam nostrum
Victoriam primam," which means "O Lord, save
our Queen Victoria the First."
11. Another untraditional timepiece,
Munich's Glockenspiel only truly marks
the time twice - or three times during
the spring and summer - per day. But
when this structure announces the time,
it does so in grand fashion.The chiming
clock has 43 bells and is situated in
Marienplatz square in the tower of the
Neues Rathaus. Originally finished in
1907, it chimes at 11:00 a.m. and noon
each day (and at 5:00pm between March
and October).When it goes off, life-
sized figurines act out various events
from Munich's history, such as a dance
from the year of the plague and the
wedding of Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of
Lorraine. Each show runs for about 15
minutes and finishes with a golden bird
emerging at the top of the structure and
chirping three times. Now, that's how the
passing of time should be honoured.
