Sci Fri: Water Clock

How did people long ago count time, without analog or digital products?

Kitchen Table Science is so popular around here-I often find the kids making their own experiments in the name of learning-or so they convince me.
We've been working on time, as part of our Chronicles of Narnia studies, since time travel is one of the main themes of the series.
We included a homemade water clock.
https://teachbesideme.com/homemade-water-clock/

The original version was not giving us more than ten seconds of drip. The kids then started to brainstorm why and how they could extend the drip time; smaller holes, no straws, less holes...
They attempted a bottle with one pin hole, but with no success. They added another pin hole with slightly more success. Finally they increased the sizes of the holes (bigger than a pinhole, smaller than a straw) and had the most success.

If you happen to have some cheap oil on hand, one bottle with oil would work like a lava lamp of sorts and the slow drip might succeed. 'Instructables' has a version https://www.instructables.com/id/Liquid-Hourglass/

You could also try an Hourglass sort of clock with sand http://mummamadeit.blogspot.com/2011/08/taking-time.html