Wetten, dass..? vom 5. November

This is a description of how I solve the Rubik's Clock blindfolded. At the moment my record is 2:01.29 including memorization. It's really easy, so try it!

Memorizing

The numbers in the following picture describe the order in which I memorize the hours. First I memorize the cross of the front side (5 9 2 6 5 in the example), then the cross of the back side (3 6 8 9 7), then the corners (3 1 4 1). So altogether I'd memorize the sequence of numbers (5 9 2 6 5) (3 6 8 9 7) (3 1 4 1).

Rubik's Clock

I use a memorization system where each number 0-11 corresponds to one object/image, e.g. 11 is a skeleton for me. I have a route of 10 points, e.g. a route in my home starting with my bed, then my window, then my computer etc. I store the images for the first ten clocks in those ten points of my route. For the last four clocks (the corners) I don't use a system. I just memorize the numbers in my short term memory, put on the blindfold and solve the corners first.

Solving

I solve each single clock totally independent of all other clocks. I'll show you how you can solve a corner (2 turns), an edge (4 turns) and a center (3 turns) without changing any other clocks. I suggest you solve your clock first and then try each of the three methods to see how they work. I will describe how to set the top-left corner, the top edge and the center to three o'clock.

The overall order in which I solve the clocks is:

  1. Corners (on front side).
  2. Front side edges.
  3. Front side center.
  4. Back side edges (actually on front after flipping the whole puzzle).
  5. Back side center (actually on front after flipping the whole puzzle).

Corners:

  1. Push the top-left pin down and the other three up. Now turn the upper-right wheel three hours counterclockwise.
  2. Push the top-left pin up and turn any wheel three hours clockwise.

You can easily solve any corner clock this way without rotating the whole puzzle, but it doesn't hurt if you do (I only do it for the edges since that's a more complicated four-turn algorithm).

Edges:

  1. Push the top-right pin up, the other three down. Turn the top-right wheel three hours clockwise.
  2. Push the top-left pin up (in addition to the top-right pin). Turn the top-right wheel three hours counterclockwise.
  3. Push the top-right pin down and the bottom-right pin up. Turn the top-left wheel three hours clockwise.
  4. Push the top-left pin down and rotate the whole puzzle 90 degrees counterclockwise (now only the top-right pin should be up). Turn the top-right wheel three hours counterclockwise.

If you didn't make a mistake then the clock that was on top at the beginning should now be on the left and showing three o'clock. Automatically the next clock I want to modify is at top now. After modifying all four edges the puzzle is rotated 360 degrees and thus has its original orientation again.

Centers:

  1. Push the top-right pin up, the other three down. Turn the top-right wheel three hours clockwise.
  2. Push the top-right pin down and the bottom-left pin up. Turn the bottom-left wheel three hours clockwise.
  3. Push the top-right pin up (in addition to the bottom-left one). Turn the bottom-left wheel three hours counterclockwise.

That's it. Good luck! Try it and submit your results to speedcubing.com...

Stefan Pochmann
Last modified: March 20 2007, 21:26:07