Gear in the Cog

Can a mechanical wind-up clock tick happily when a loose plastic bread clip is wedged right behind its bronze turn-key? No chance. I hopped onto the glass surface of the coffee table, circled the vintage brass alarm clock, and surveyed the jam. The clip had caught tightly against the winding dial, freezing the gears mid-click. Bracing my left boot firmly against the heavy clock base, I grabbed the edge of the plastic clip with both hands and gave a sharp, measured lever pull. Snap! The clip popped loose, skittering across the glass. The rhythmic ticking instantly surged back to life. Another tiny mechanism restored to perfect rhythm!