Antique clock collector Robert Kennedy and clocksmith Nagaraj recently climbed the bell tower of the Holy Trinity Cathedral at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli. They discovered that the cathedral's tower clock, made in 1854 by John Moore & Sons, is older than London’s Big Ben, installed in 1859. "Big Ben was installed in 1859, whereas this clock was manufactured in 1854 and installed in 1855," said Kennedy, who is now restoring the clock after church authorities called on him. The church clock has stopped chiming in recent years due to a technical fault. Kennedy believes this could be the oldest tower clock in India. The church wanted to install a battery-operated system but Kennedy opposed it strongly. "Tower clocks are meant to be wound weekly; they embody a complex yet exquisitely engineered mechanical system. To replace such craftsmanship with a battery-operated unit would amount to murdering the clock," he said. Kennedy said the restoration team, including Nagaraj, will only get paid if the bell chimes again. Nagaraj expects to fix the clock within a week but will begin work after carefully diagnosing the exact problem. They will hand-make replacement parts since the clock was custom-built. Kennedy added that the clock's restored chime will once again echo through the neighbourhood. He also urged a wider study and preservation of historic Tamil Nadu clocks as part of cultural heritage. The cathedral, built in 1826, recently celebrated its 200th anniversary, making this restoration a significant effort to save a precious piece of history.