A maker documents the construction of the MetaClockClock78, a large-scale art clock composed of 156 individual analog clocks (78 per unit) arranged in a 6×13 matrix. Each clock uses dual-shaft stepper motors, SK6812-Side LEDs, and NXP K02FN128 microcontrollers communicating over RS-485. The oak wood enclosures were CNC-machined on a Shapeoko 4, clock hands laser-cut, and parts 3D-printed over 52 hours. PCBWay handled PCB assembly for the LED rings, saving significant time. Software updates include a new 3×6 font, proportional character widths, daylight saving time switching, countdown mode, and night/weekend shutoff. The full project took 3 months and ~$1,500 USD in electronics BOM per unit. All hardware and software are open source on GitHub.
