Impressive German ingenuity...

The VDO (Kenzle) clock.  I took this puppy apart last night.  Some sand grains
were found in the casing.  I got it to werk almost for about 50% of its
"stroke".  THis is where the ingenuity comes in.  It appears to me the 
clock operates via a contact (point) system similar (visually) to the
points in the distributor).  As the clock ticks along the gap between these
"points" lessens until current is transmitted across the gab to reset a lever
 (for lack of a better word) against a tension spring. The lever and spring
unit becomes engaged into a gear which provides the potential energy for the
intricacies of this clock... And the gap closes..

christian