At the top, perforated hour-symbols set in a half-circle show the passing of hours.
This arch represents half a day (6am to 6pm, 6pm-6am).
Starting from the usual time of sunrise, the perforated hour-symbols at the top progressively turn to white, one half at a time: the first half of each opening changes colour during the first half-hour, and the second half at the end of the hour. As the night draws in, the colour white is progressively replaced by the colour black.
Each half-hour comes with an animated sequence: the left dragon slowly tilts back, as if it was a lever being pulled back. At the end of this sequence, it springs back to its original position, in a reinterpretation of the traditional watchmaking technique of the retrograde display.
The decoration of the watch, in the manner of the frontispiece of a luxurious palace, was inspired by the overall architecture of al-Jazari’s masterpiece.
In order to make the watch easier to read, an aperture displaying the hours and a central hand showing the minutes have been added.
TELLING TIME:
CREDIT: John-Mikael-Flaux.com