The present clock has been restored four times in the history of Collegium Maius. According to documents from 1465 referring to the repair of a clock of “great size”, we know that the first clock came into being before this year.

Destroyed in 1492 by fire and rebuilt thanks to the efforts of the Academy authorities and Queen Elizabeth from Austria, the clock kept time for several decades after. The third restoration of the clock was made possible thanks to a donation from Maciej of Miechów, a professor and benefactor of the Cracow Academy. An unusually clock was constructed in which symbols of the sun and moon moved together with the mechanism. The circumstances under which the clock stopped functioning are unknown.

The present clock began working on October 1, 1999. In this clock a computer system sets in motion a procession of historical figures marching to two different melodies: an extract of court “music” taken from the tablature of John of Lublin, dating from the middle of the 16^th century and an instrumental version of the academic song Gaudeamus  Igitur.

In the procession there are figures of people connected with the history of the Cracow Academy: the beadle, Queen Jadwiga, King Ladislaus Jagiełło, St. John of Kęt, Hugon Kołłątaj and Rector Stanislaus of Skalbmierz.

These figures were made in the late 1950`s by Ladislaus Kozyra, a folk sculptor.

This musical procession is set in motion at 9. a.m, 11 a.m. ,1 p.m., 3 p.m. , 5 p.m.