Rubik's Clock

Rubik’s Clock is the black sheep of the WCA. It involves turning gears to point hands at 12 o’clock.

The Hardware

It has 9 clock faces on the front and 9 on the back. There are 4 pins and 4 wheels.

• Pins Up: The wheel turns the faces around that pin.
• Pins Down: The wheel turns different faces.

The Method

There is basically only one method: Point everything to 12.

1. The Cross

Make a cross on one side (center clock + 4 adjacent clocks) point to 12.

• Technique: Hold a pin up, turn a wheel until the center matches the top clock. Put that pin down. Repeat.

2. The Flip

Flip the puzzle over. (Yes, really).

3. The Cross (Again)

Do the same thing on the back.

4. The Corners

Now match the corner clocks to the cross.

• Turn wheels until they all sync up.
• Final Step: Turn ANY wheel until everything points to 12.

Controversy

• Haters say: “It’s a 2D puzzle!” “It’s ugly!”
• Lovers say: “It’s easy to get a world record!” (Spoiler: It is not).
• Fact: A good clock costs $30 (QiYi Clock) and uses magnets. Do not buy the original Rubik’s brand; it feels like grinding rocks.