What's inside Big Ben? (Elizabeth Tower)

For your chance to win a Tesla Model X Plaid and support a great cause go to www.omaze.com/jaredowen Thanks for watching my videos! Any other cool facts about Big Ben that I missed? Let me know in the comments below👇

It's fascinating to see how pennies can affect the timing of such a huge machine. Loved the video as always.

I went up into the clock tower in 1966 on a primary-school (5th-grade) visit to parliament. They timed it for 12 noon. I remember the oxidised-black Victorian pennies, originally shiny copper-nickel, used to regulate the pendulum. It was dusty, untidy and cluttered with equipment; they did not let us go up into the light tower. There is a jail cell one-third of the way up the spiral staircase for errant members of parliament, unused since the 1880s. The 1960s was still an innocent era: nowadays the tower is closed to the public for security reasons. They did a great job of restoring and cleaning the exterior, so it can be seen through Victorian eyes for the first time in a century and a half.

I'm sure this has already been mentioned, but the restoration work is complete and the tower and clock face look magnificent. I've seen this tower throughout my life and the overhaul has brought something new to it.

Making these 3d models are tough and time consuming. I really respect and admire what u do.

Amazing to think that this clock has been ticking away for longer than a lot of modern countries have even existed.

Learning about how things work is really amazing, you gotta appreciate how people first learned to make things like this, roller coater, other famous buildings, and products we use and don't think too much about.

Fascinating! I lived in London 15 years and didn't know most of this! It's basically a giant musical box 🎶

I just discovered your channel and am loving everything I've seen. I'm British (though I now live in Europe) and once used to help wind my village's 500 year old clock. Your fantastic graphics and accompanying commentary has added to my understanding. I cannot imagine the work you must do to create such visuals, but I truly appreciate them. Keep up the good work! 👍😃

Its incredible how the people that built it had the knowledge to make all those gears work.

Not only did I learn how Big Ben itself works but I also learned how to understand the chimes coming from Clock Towers. Thanks Jared!

Hi Jared. My grandson Liam and I really enjoy your great videos showing how things are built and operated. Great work. I just returned from a prairie vacation in which I visited some old wood grain elevators. At one time these prairie sentinels were the spiritual and cultural center of agricultural communities. It occurred to me that these large structures, used for accumulating grain from prairie farmers, would make a good subject for one of your videos. Just a thought. My grandson asked me how they worked and I struggled to explain to him their operation. At one time they represented the highest technology of their day.

Mind Officially Blown. All my life I've never known exactly how a pendulum works, not even after owning a pendulum clock for 20 years! Thank you! I've watched a few of your videos and find they are very clear and easy to understand. You're doing a great job.

I’ve said it before but this is one of the coolest YouTube channels! This is a guy that deserves millions of subscribers and millions more!

Such a cool explanation of Big Ben! Really makes me want to plan a trip to London. Definitely one of the coolest channels on YouTube!

Great video! Just to note - you mention towards the beginning of the video that the clock tower can be seen from Buckingham Palace. The Ayrton Light at 5:30 was actually installed specifically so the Monarch would know when Parliament was in session. It was an addition requested by Queen Victoria. You didn't make the link in the video but I think others may find that interesting :) Also, whilst the Abraj al Bait may be a taller structure, it is not a clockwork mechanism so I'm not sure it's fair to say it is a taller clock tower than the Elizabeth Tower. That's like sticking an electric clock dial to the top of the Empire State Building and insisting it is the tallest clock tower in the World... I think it's better to say it has the largest and highest clock face on a building in the world which is a slightly different thing.

I've lived in London all my life, and I never knew all those things. This video was fascinating – thank you.

There's a reason for over two million subscribers. Each video is meticulously made and incredibly interesting. One of YouTube's great channels.

The fly fan doesn't slow the rotation of the escapement wheel necessarily, but is meant to keep forward momentum on the escapement wheel so the legs don't bounce on the gravity arms. The fan is attached to a one way clutch which allows it to continue moving forward slightly after the leg of the escapement wheel lands on the pallet of the gravity arm.

Well I'll be damned. I had no idea Big Ben was actually the biggest bell and not the tower itself. I've always dreamed of visiting London and the Palace of Westminster in particular. I really love your videos, I learn so much from them!