07/09/2026
Rehabilitation of the Iconic Clock Tower Wooden Roof & Inside Floors-an initiative by GAABESU
Looking back at history, Sir R N Mookerjee, a distinguished alumnus of this college (1883 Civil Engg. Batch), had presented this turret clock to his alma mater, and it was installed at a five-story high tower. The clock was made by Gillett and Johnston, Croydon, England in 1919.
The only other Gillett and Johnston clock in the city is the one at the clock tower of New Market, Kolkata. Gillett and Johnston were
commissioned by King George V in 1844 as Bell Founders and Tower Clock Makers in Croydon, England, and they made clocks for various important locations within the colony. Apart from the two clocks in Kolkata, there are two more in Mumbai and Chennai.
The IIEST clock tower can be considered one of the engineering marvels in its category and a priceless piece of mechanical engineering
equipment. Its uniqueness lies in its escapement wheel that makes it possible for the movements to work with the high-precision spur gear, bevel gear, Paul-ratchet, and cam mechanism. It needs exact synchronization among its 120 gigantic parts to function properly and run in exact time. The giant clock on the campus has a massive bell,
manually operated movements with gravity loading, an Invar pendulum four faces complete with clock gradations, and arms in the four
directions.
As alumni, we all carry within us a deep emotional bond with our beloved Alma Mater. The memories of our student days, the iconic
buildings, the Clock Tower, the lakeside surroundings, and the academic atmosphere remain an inseparable part of our lives,
irrespective of where we are today across the globe. The Clock Tower stands as a proud symbol of our institution’s glorious
heritage for more than 170 years. Constructed with brick masonry, steel framing, and sloped wooden roofing, now urgently requires
rehabilitation and structural repair, particularly of its deteriorated wooden roof system and associated components. This repair will also
protect the historic clock and its machinery from increasing rainwater ingress.
GAABESU has taken the opportunity to support three important developmental initiatives that are both heritage-sensitive and academically meaningful including ‘Rehabilitation of the Historic Clock Tower Wooden Roof & Inside Floors’. This initiative is being supported by our alumni from different parts of the world.
