Bartholmus is the mayor of a medieval coastal city. He is not interested in governance, but he is very fond of people applauding him. One day, he learns that all mayors from the surrounding towns have bought new clocks for the town hall. Bartholmus only has a small and ugly clock, so he calls the great sculptor Hans and his helper Friday to the city. Together, they create an unusual clock, the beauty of which turns out to be dangerous.