STUART JORDAN looks at how this iconic Swiss clock was designed.
In 1944, Swiss Federal Railways (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, henceforth SBB), announced that they wanted a new design for their station clocks to ensure the prompt despatch of trains from the station.
a clock at Zurich station.
The engineer Hans Hilfiker worked for SBB and rose to the challenge, designed a whole new analogue clock system for the Swiss railways. Hilfiker’s design was inspired by the pre-war Bauhaus movement, a German modernist school of art which worked on a combination of technology, craftsmanship, and modern design aesthetics.
For the actual mechanics of the clock Hilfiker worked with Swiss clockmaking company Moser-Baer, who still make them to this day. Each clock in a station is linked to a master clock, which has no second or minute hand. This master clock controls the minute hand on each other clock by sending out an electrical impulse at the top of each minute to advance it.
G Scale Swiss station staff from LGB. The man on the right is brandishing the inspiration for the second hand.
The really iconic feature was added in 1953. Although the addition of a second hand does not sound impressive, this one really changed the time – a minute became 58.5 seconds. The second hand makes this slightly faster rotation and then pauses for 1.5 seconds at the top of the minute. This allows the trains to leave the station promptly at the right minute. Hilfiker designed the second hand red with a circular end, evoking the look of the platform train despatcher’s baton.
The same electrical impulse that moves the minute hand onwards makes the second hand move off on the next rotation. These days, the master clock is set by a satellite link which ensures that all clocks across the SBB network show the correct time. The stations themselves use synchronisation equipment manufactured by Mobatime.
The largest clock in Switzerland. This 9m diameter clock is on the side of Aarau railway station.
In 2014 it was reported that SBB was removing the distinctive second hand from clocks when they failed. The second hand is controlled by a separate motor than the minute and hour hands (which also aren’t connected), and when these motors started to fail it was found that they were not manufactured any more. There was outrage as travellers asked, according to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, “Is it 5 seconds past the minute or 55?”. SBB were adamant that they weren’t going to pay 3250 Swiss francs (approx. £2600) for a new clock just so that they could replace the second hand. They stated that clocks would be replaced as they reached the end of their lifetime which is 20 years.
The iconic movement of the hands. Video - Artem Andreev via YouTube.
The Swiss Railway Clock has gone on to become a design classic; featuring in both The Design Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1986, Swiss watch manufacturer Mondaine produced a range of wristwatches in the familiar design, which also featured the ‘two heartbeat stop’ of the second hand as part of the movement. The range is still produced and expanded to this day.
TMondaine 'Classic' design watch. A myriad of face and strap designs are available.
Apple used the design in their operation system iOS 6 in 2012, with the clock appearing on iPads and iPhones. They had used the design without permission and later came to a licencing agreement with SBB, reportedly paying 20 million Swiss Francs. The later iOS 7 released the year later did not feature the clock – maybe it was cheaper to redesign than to relicense?
A video produced by Moser-Baer showing the installation of the clock at Aarau.
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