Magnets are amazing devices, and as demonstrated by Instructables community manager Troy Hawkins (AKA “tomatoskins”), they can even be used to mysteriously tell time. His project features magnets hidden behind a classic walnut veneer to rotate a pair of ball bearings around the unique clock face.

While externally minimal, there’s a lot going on inside its wood surface. The clock is controlled by an Arduino Nano along with an RTC module for accurate timekeeping. A 28BYJ-48 stepper motor-driven, 3D-printed gear system guides magnet positions and Hall effect sensors are used for both the hour and minute hands. 

Arduino code as well as mechanical design files are available in Hawkins’ write-up.