> Not that this actually matters but out of morbid curiosity - did he actually assemble a clock kit or did he simply disassemble a regular nightstand clock and put it into a little carry case?

Either way, he is 14. Like the saying goes, 'everything is a remix'.

> I don't think he actually made anything

That's pointless judgement for something that a 14 year old himself claims in this video as 'really easy... something small': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mW4w0Y1OXE

At 14, all that matters is you are willing to learn, persevere, and have the courage to create something. (Actually, that's all that matters at any age of one's life.)