Ahmed was 14, and comparatively dumb as a box of rocks.
Well, when I was Clock-Boy's age, I drove my parents nuts by going around the house, taking things apart, and putting them back together again. Wanted to figure out how they worked.
Mom and Dad encouraged (mostly) my interests and I grew up to be an engineer. So, I guess what I did was good in the long run.
But is Clockmed some sort of a child prodigy, one to be worshipped for his budding talents? Hardly. Certainly no more than I was, or millions of other boys that were degenerate tinkerers, exactly like me.