thomas wagner
A wave that rises and falls under the influence of the moon.
A simple movement that has existed since time immemorial. An equilibrium that is part of the gears of our ecosystem. This fascinating event of the tide inspired me for my clepsydra project. A simple movement to convey simple information. To reach this project, vector and traditional schematic representation, automatic target drawing (I like to draw inspiration from chaos), were the premises of my journey.
After much reflection on what time is, the idea came to me. To take what man has invented to be able to find oneself in his space while drawing inspiration from nature: a water clock. An object that allows telling time through a basin of water that tilts in a continuous cycle... hence its name clepsydra. Originally, the clepsydra is a water instrument that allows defining the duration of an event or a speech. Its operation is quite simple. A motor under "low RPM" (revolutions per minute) triggers a gear system allowing the basin to tilt in cycles of 12 hours.
The basin is made of thermoformed PMMA with engraved graduations indicating the hour depending on the inclination. As the water evaporates, the user will need to add some (occasionally and depending on the heat conditions) at noon or midnight to ensure that the liquid is at the correct level. Clepsydra XXI would also come with a precise container that would allow filling the basin accurately.
The double level of the base of the pedestal allows the wire attached to the mechanism to remain vertical and not to tilt the basin from right to left but only from front to back. The second utility of the double level is to hide all the attachment pieces of the lower mechanism.