--- description: The iconic clock tower has been running up to six seconds late. Big Ben is typically accurate to within two seconds of the actual time. title: London's Big Ben Has Been Running Slow image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfd55ef7cebe1347/698860cf5f570fc96bb1d156/big-ben.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [U.K.](/tag/u-k/) ## U.K. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Big Ben Has Been Running Up to Six Seconds Late  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 25, 2015 6:38 PM CUT  Big Ben on Sept. 19, 2013. Big Ben on Sept. 19, 2013.Steve Parsons—AP Images  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 25, 2015 6:38 PM CUT Londoners using Big Ben as a trusty timekeeper over the past couple of weeks might have been [ever so slightly late](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-34051053 "undefined") to their appointments. The BBC reports the iconic clock tower has been running up to six seconds late, according to clock smith Ian Westworth. Big Ben is typically accurate to within two seconds of the actual time, with Westworth describing the clock’s current behavior as “temperamental.” At 156, Big Ben is allowed some tantrums. A spokesperson was sympathetic to the clock’s missteps, acknowledging Ben “Does have a little fit every now and then,” but asking people to “Imagine running your car for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for the last 156 years.” The cause of the delay was traced to a mechanical error that occurred on August 15 and 16\. Errors are normally fixed by adding and removing old coins in the pendulum to adjust the rate at which it swings. Luckily for those who want to be as on time as possible, Big Ben is back in fighting shape. The clock’s accuracy is now within the second. ### The World's Top 10 Most Expensive Cities  1\. Singapore, Singapore Getty Images  2\. Paris, France Getty Images  3\. Oslo, Norway Getty Images  4\. Zurich, Switzerland Getty Images  5\. Sydney, Australia Getty Images  6\. Melbourne, Australia Getty Images  7\. Geneva, Switzerland Getty Images  8\. Copenhagen, Denmark Getty Images  9\. Hong Kong, China Getty Images  10\. Seoul, South Korea Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4010170/big-ben-running-slow/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4010170/big-ben-running-slow/"},"headline":"Big Ben Has Been Running Up to Six Seconds Late","datePublished":"2015-08-25T18:38:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:56.028Z","description":"\"It does have a little fit every now and then\"","url":"https://time.com/4010170/big-ben-running-slow/","keywords":["U.K.","TIME","london"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfd55ef7cebe1347/698860cf5f570fc96bb1d156/big-ben.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanya Basu","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbfd55ef7cebe1347/698860cf5f570fc96bb1d156/big-ben.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Big Ben TimeaBig Ben Time Glitch","caption":"Big Ben Time Glitch","creditText":"Steve Parsons—AP Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/u-k/","name":"U.K."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4010170/big-ben-running-slow/","name":"Big Ben Has Been Running Up to Six Seconds Late"}}]}] ```