Just recently, we have finished installing the tower clock commissioned to us by the Ayala Land, Inc. The size is 2 meters in diameter with LED back lighting. But we have this story that my future clients should know, please read...
In March of 2012, I was contacted by an architect from the Ayala Land Inc. and requested a quotation for a 2-meter wide tower clock with back lighting. We went to their office and presented to them our design and its quote. We had some corrections suggested by them to suit their needs. But somehow the negotiation did not pushed through and silence there is between us until in February 2013 they emailed me again requesting for a renewed quotation for the said clock project. They also requested me to visit the site because the tower is already completed. Upon seeing the tower I was shocked... there is a clock installed at the tower but not working. There, they admitted they had committed a big mistake in entering contract with another company advertised in the internet who installed the clock. Please see the picture below.
This is the clock that these other company installed. It's not working and will never work because the hands are too heavy for the small clock mechanism they used. The construction of the hands as well as the clock's housing were not designed to counter the force of strong winds and or typhoons. And the most shocking discovery upon seeing the inside of the crippled clock, the user or the Ayala Land Inc. would have to climb up the tower every time they want to set the hands for time corrections! These brings me to a conclusion that this company who has an eye catching advertisement in the internet is not a tower clock maker.
Now, here is my replacement in the making, the Le Arsi Tower Clock by Big Tic. (Le Arsi comes from my name in reverse).
As you can see the markers and the rings are 1/4" embossed not stickers. And the dial is detachable in 4 pieces to give access in LED lights in future maintenance. The hands are reinforced with steel bars in scaffold to withstand even super typhoons. And most of all the clock has its master control with several switches to perform such as time corrections, setting the hands forward or backward, etc. This master control is located just below the tower accessible to maintenance people for easy operation with a small pilot minute hand at the back of the clock inside the tower to serve as convenient monitor during setting of the hands . The clock mechanism as well as the master control is 100% Filipino made. The over-all thickness of the clock is 5" compared to the crippled clock which is 12" thick.
Now, in this picture preparing the clock for the lift of more than 50 kilos.
Now installed and being retouched by my artist Ka Rogie Total.
This is the San Antonio Plaza Arcade Tower Clock in McKinley Road near Edsa, Makati City. Thank you for reading my blog. arsiclock@yahoo.com 0916-5522442, 0905-4947625
