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Historic Denver Clocks Require Team To Make Daylight Saving Change

DENVER (CBS4) - For most of the country, the digital world makes switching clocks for daylight saving an automatic act. But for two very rare clocks in Denver, it takes a team.

High above students at East High School in Denver stands a piece of history, nearing its 100th anniversary.

As Colorado springs forward an hour, East High School's clock tower needs to be manually changed, a task that takes a team.

"We make any adjustments necessary, we do any maintenance necessary," said clock enthusiast Steve Forgy.

Two times a year, a Denver based national group of watch and clock collectors makes the trek up the tower to fix any problems and correct the time.

"In three months this clock has only lost five minutes," said Forgy.

east high school clock
(credit: CBS)

The process usually only takes about an hour. The crew has been maintaining this clock and the one at South High School for nearly 10 years.

"They are the only two mechanical tower clocks left in the city of Denver," Forgy said.

Clock enthusiasts and students both past and present attend the annual tradition, one the clock workers hope will continue for years to come.

"It was built to last, it will be here a few more hundred years," says Forgy.

Tonight is daylight saving time, and we will lose an hour of sleep.

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