The Genius Design of Ancient Timekeeping | Ctesibius’s Water Clock

We’ve taken one of the most brilliant inventions of the ancient world, Ctesibius’s Water Clock, and brought it back to life with 3D animation. And honestly, we couldn’t resist turning it into a poster too. If you love it as much as we do, you can grab one and support the channel.

👉 Check it out here: https://deconstructed-shop.fourthwall...

*(Giveaway ended) 🎁 Also, we’re giving one away! just subscribe, like this video, and leave a comment below telling us: What was the most fascinating part of Ctesibius’s invention for you? We’ll announce the winner in the next upload. Details below.

For millennia, civilizations relied on the sun’s movement to track time using sundials, but they were useless when the sun wasn’t shining. Early water clocks, or clepsydra, were an improvement over sundials but they were only timers, not constant clocks.

In the 3rd century BCE, in the city of Alexandria, a brilliant Greek inventor named Ctesibius created a water-powered timekeeping device, so precise it remained unmatched for the next 1,800 years, until the invention of the pendulum clock in 1656.

But how did it work? In this video, we’ll break down the inner workings behind this clock that was well ahead of its time.

Ctesibius solved three fundamental problems with early water clocks:
Maintaining a steady flow of water: He used a continuous supply of water with an overflow conduit to ensure a consistent flow rate and accurate time measurement.
Automatic resetting: He incorporated a siphon mechanism that reset the system without manual intervention, allowing it to run continuously.
Adjusting for seasonal time: By connecting a water wheel to a system of gears, he compensated for the changing lengths of days and nights, keeping each hour proportional throughout the year.

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
01:09 - Sundials
01:56 - Early Water Clocks
04:54 - Ctesibius’ Water Clock
06:08 - Consistent Flow
06:43 - The Siphon Mechanism
07:48 - Seasonal Adjustment
09:39 - Conclusion

A huge thank you to all our Patreon and YouTube Membership supporters — your support helps us keep creating detailed, high-quality videos like this one. If you’d like to support the channel and help us bring more projects to life, you can join us here:
👉   / deconstructed_animations   |    / @deconstructed_animations  

🎬 Special thanks to our amazing team:
– Hubert Malach: 3D Animation
– Nicolas J: Sound Design
– Lion & Louis: Script, Direction & Editing

Giveaway Rules:
🎁 No purchase necessary. Open worldwide.
How to Enter: Subscribe to our channel, like this video, and leave a comment answering our question: What was the most fascinating part of Ctesibius’s invention for you?
Winner Selection: The winner will be chosen based on our judgment of the best comment.
Announcement: The winner will be announced at the end of the next video and must contact us via email at [email protected] to claim their prize.
Eligibility: If the winner is under the age of majority in their country, parental permission is required to receive the prize.
Disclaimer: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by YouTube.
Void where prohibited.

#ancienthistory #history #engineeringmarvels #3danimation