The clock tower (Jam Gadang) is located in central Bukittinggi, a city in the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra. It sits in the middle of the Sabai Nan Aluih Park, near the Ateh Market and palace of Mohammad Hatta. The structure was built in 1926, during the Dutch colonial era, as a gift from Queen Wilhelmina to the city's controleur. It was designed by architects Yazid Abidin and Sutan Gigi Ameh, reportedly at a cost of 3,000 guilder.