One of the best parts of being a ceramic artist is getting to break things. Whenever a piece doesn't work out...it has to pay. Society tends to frown on breaking pottery....unless you're at a really rockin' Greek party. Otherwise, normal folks don't get to take part in the fun as much as they should.
Georgios Maridakis has an elegant (and non-sociopathic) solution. His "Vase Clock" consists of a timing mechanism, a spring-loaded hammer and a porcelain Sèvres vase. At the top of the hour, the hammer trips, producing the bell-like ringing sound that Sèvres is famous for.
Life being what it is, that vase isn't going to last forever. Over time, the vase is meant to chip, fracture, and eventually...shatter. The hammer mechanism is supposedly adjustable, letting you use a variety of vases that all produce different sounds.