Mechanical Calculator of the Distance Between Earth and Mars

A watch movement and the night sky obey the same language of numbers. The work makes that kinship literal: if the motion of planets can be expressed as a formula, then the very device that measures the passage of time is equally capable of measuring the distance between them. Here, an astronomical calculation is translated into the plan of a watch movement, where the motion of gears enacts the orbital motion of Earth and Mars.

The graphic work is executed in watercolour and pencil. The pencil drawing establishes the precise geometry of the gear train, with each wheel rendered according to its actual number of teeth and its point of engagement with neighbouring parts. Konstantin Chaykin applies watercolour locally: yellow and grey pick out individual clusters of gears. At the bottom of the sheet, a formula calculates the distance between points A and B. The author's handwritten signature and the year of execution close the composition, granting the sheet the status of a document.