A Matter of Clearance

I set my staff aside on the table surface. A brass mechanical alarm clock stood ahead of me. Its rear winding key interested me. I approached the metal casing. I pressed my palm against the side to measure the friction. Then I reached for the rotating key at the back. It turned with small, audible clicks. I adjusted my stance to steady the frame. Each turn met firm resistance before resetting with a snap. The mechanism operates on predictable spring tension. I logged its movement arc.