Editing Rubik's Clock

{{Short description|Rubik's puzzle}}
[[Image:Rubiks-clock.jpg|thumbnail|right|The front face of a solved original Rubik's clock]]

'''The Rubik's Clock''' is a [[mechanical puzzle]] invented and [[patent]]ed by Christopher C. Wiggs and Christopher J. Taylor.<ref>Patents [http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=EP0322085&F=0&QPN=EP0322085 EP0322085] (1989-06-28), [http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=JP1171588&F=0&QPN=JP1171588 JP1171588] (1989-07-06), [http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=GB2213739&F=0&QPN=GB2213739 GB2213739] (1989-08-23), [http://v3.espacenet.com/origdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US4869506&F=0&QPN=US4869506 US4869506] (1989-09-26)</ref> The [[Hungary|Hungarian]] sculptor and professor of architecture [[Ernő Rubik]] bought the patent from them to market the product under his name.  It was first marketed in 1988.

The Rubik's Clock is a two-sided [[puzzle]], each side presenting nine clocks to the puzzler. There are four dials, one at each corner of the puzzle, each allowing the corresponding corner clock to be rotated directly. (The corner clocks, unlike the other clocks, rotate on both sides of the puzzle simultaneously and can never be operated independently. Thus, the puzzle contains only 14 independent clocks.)

There are also four pins which span both sides of the puzzle; each pin arranged such that if it is "in" on one side, it is "out" on the other. The state of each pin (in or out) determines whether the adjacent corner clock is mechanically connected to the three other adjacent clocks on the front side or on the back side: thus the configuration of the pins determines which sets of clocks can be turned simultaneously by rotating a suitable dial.

The aim of the puzzle is to set all nine clocks to 12 o'clock (straight up) on both sides of the puzzle simultaneously. A method to do so is to start by constructing a cross on both sides (at 12 o’clock) and then solving the corner clocks individually.

The Rubik's Clock is listed as one of the 17 [[World Cube Association|WCA]] events, with records for fastest time to solve one puzzle, and the fastest average time to solve 5 puzzles (discarding the slowest and fastest times). Viable speedsolving methods have been devised that always solve it in 14 moves or less. An example is "7-Simul", which involves performing seven pairs of moves on the front and back of the clock simultaneously and requires mental calculation from the puzzle's initial position to determine some moves. God's number for Clock is 12.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 4, 2025 |title=Rubik's Clock has now been solved! |url=https://www.cube20.org/clock/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=www.cube20.org}}</ref>

==Combinations==
Since there are 14 independent clocks, with 12 settings each, there are a total of <math>12^{14}</math>=1,283,918,464,548,864 possible combinations for the clock faces. This does not count for the number of pin positions.

== Notation ==
The puzzle is oriented with 12 o'clock on top, and either side in front. The following moves can be made:<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 1, 2023 |title=WCA Regulations {{!}} World Cube Association |url=https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/regulations/#12g |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=www.worldcubeassociation.org}}</ref>

=== Pin movements ===
* UR (top-right): Move the top-right pin up.
* DR (bottom-right): Move the bottom-right pin up.
* DL (bottom-left): Move the bottom-left pin up.
* UL (top-left): Move the top-left pin up.
* U (both top): Move both top pins up.
* R (both right): Move both right pins up.
* D (both bottom): Move both bottom pins up.
* L (both left): Move both left pins up.
* ALL (all): Move all pins up.

=== Wheel movements ===
* X+ (X [[clockwise]] turns): Turn a dial next to an up-position pin clockwise X times, then move all pins down.
* X− (X counter-clockwise turns): Turn a dial next to an up-position pin counter-clockwise X times, then move all pins down.

=== Puzzle rotation ===
* y2: Flip the puzzle, then move all pins down.

==Records==
The world record for single solve is held by Volodymyr Kapustianskyi of the [[United States]] with a time of 1.64 seconds, set at Moorhead Madness 2025 in [[Moorhead, Minnesota]].

The world record for [[Olympic average]] of five solves is held by Lachlan Gibson of [[New Zealand]] with an average of 2.28 seconds, set at Puzzling Papatoetoe 2025 in [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]] with times of (2.20), 2.22, 2.26, 2.36, and (2.65) seconds.<ref>[[World Cube Association]] [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/records - Records]</ref>

=== Top 10 solvers by single solve<ref>[[World Cube Association]] [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/rankings/clock/single Official Clock Rankings - Single]</ref>===
{| class="wikitable"
! Rank !! Name !!  Result !! Competition
|-
|1
|{{flagicon|USA}} Volodymyr Kapustianskyi
|1.64s
|{{flagicon|USA}} Moorhead Madness 2025
|-
|2
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Lachlan Gibson
|1.82s
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Puzzling Papatoetoe 2025
|-
|3
|{{flagicon|USA}} Brendyn Dunagan
|1.90s 
|{{flagicon|USA}} Agoura Side Events Day 2025
|-
|4
|{{flagicon|AUS}} Kyle Jones
|1.99s
|{{flagicon|AUS}} Don't Inverloch Up 2025
|-
|5
|{{flagicon|NDL}} Mick Boekema
|2.00s
|{{flagicon|NDL}} Lente in Lent 2025
|-
|6
|{{flagicon|POL}} Eryk Kasperek
|2.11s
|{{flagicon|POL}} Energy Cube Tomaszów Mazowiecki 2025
|-
|7
|{{flagicon|POL}} Antoni Stojek
|2.14s
|{{flagicon|POL}} Cube4fun Cubers Eve Żyrardów 2024
|-
|8
|{{flagicon|NOR}} Niklas Aasen Eliasson
|2.25s
|{{flagicon|SWE}} Vännäs & Friends 2024
|-
|9
|{{flagicon|USA}} Drake Denton Richard
|2.26s
|{{flagicon|USA}} Charlotte Winter 2025
|-
|10
|{{flagicon|USA}} Jaidon Poraminthara Lin
|2.27s
|{{flagicon|USA}} UCSB Cubing 2024
|}

=== Top 10 solvers by [[Olympic average]] of 5 solves<ref>[[World Cube Association]] [https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/rankings/clock/average Official Clock Rankings - Average]</ref>===
{| class="wikitable"
! Rank !! Name !!  Average !! Competition !! Times
|-
|1
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Lachlan Gibson
|2.28s
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Puzzling Papatoetoe 2025
|(2.20), 2.22, 2.26, 2.36, (2.65)
|-
|2
|{{flagicon|USA}} Volodymyr Kapustianskyi
|2.31s
|{{flagicon|USA}} Moorhead Madness 2025
|2.35, 2.40, 2.18, (3.71), (1.64)
|-
|3
|{{flagicon|POL}} Eryk Kasperek
|2.52s
|{{flagicon|POL}} Cube4fun Lublin on WEII 2024
|2.44, (3.36), 2.59, (2.40), 2.52
|-
|4
|{{flagicon|USA}} Brendyn Dunagan
|2.64s
|{{flagicon|USA}} Nub Open Mission Viejo Spring 2025
|(2.36), 2.46, (DNF), 2.86, 2.61
|-
|5
|{{flagicon|USA}} Carter Thomas
|2.82s
|{{flagicon|USA}} Pyraminx in Pewaukee 2024
|(4.77), (2.45), 3.52, 2.47, 2.46
|-
|6
|{{flagicon|NOR}} Niklas Aasen Eliasson
|2.83s
|{{flagicon|NOR}} Kristiansand Open 2025
|3.13, (2.59), 2.59, (3.36), 2.78
|-
|7
|{{flagicon|USA}} Fiona Bao
|2.93s
|{{flagicon|USA}} American Dream NJ 2025
|2.97, 2.85, (2.68), (5.26), 2.96
|-
|8
|{{flagicon|AUS}} Kyle Jones
|2.98s
|{{flagicon|AUS}} QLD State Championship 2025
|3.14, 2.86, (DNF), (2.64), 2.93
|-
|9
|{{flagicon|POL}} Filip Brokos
|2.99s
|{{flagicon|POL}} Cube4fun Biała Rawska Spring 2025
|(2.54), 2.83, (3.63), 3.02, 3.11
|-
|10
|{{flagicon|UK}} Caleb Wolf Dunn
|3.00s
|{{flagicon|UK}} Rubik's UK Championship 2024
|(2.70), 2.88, (4.18), 3.04, 3.07
|}

=== Non-human solving ===
On Nov  21, 2024, a robot developed by Erez Borenshtein achieved a Guinness World Record by solving a Rubik's Clock in 0.443 seconds. This accomplishment was officially recognized by Guinness World Record as the fastest time for a robot to solve a Rubik's Clock. The record is documented on the Guinness World Records website.

==References==

<references/>

==External links==
* [https://www.speedsolving.com/wiki/index.php/List_of_Unofficial_World_Records#Other_Official_events Unofficial Records] Speedsolving.com's page of unofficial records for many puzzles including Rubik's Clock
* [http://hol.abime.net/4661 Real Genius] Computer game implementation of Rubik's Clock for the Commodore Amiga, released in 1989
* https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/rankings/clock/average
* https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/results/rankings/clock/single?show=100+persons
* https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/649381-fastest-robot-to-solve-a-rubiks-clock Non-Human Solving, By Erez Borenshtein
{{Rubik's Cube}}

[[Category:Mechanical puzzles]]
[[Category:Combination puzzles]]
[[Category:1988 works]]
[[Category:1988 introductions]]
[[Category:1980s toys]]