About

The Present is a gift. 

Unlike conventional clocks that portray the present as a blip between the past and the future, The Present transforms the here and now by revealing its inherent spaciousness, tranquility, and limitless potential.

The result is a grounded, life-affirming new experience of time itself.

 

The First Edition (2012)

 First Edition (2012)

Why is it called The Present?

 

Its single hand always points to the present moment within the context of a larger, more holistic cycle of time.

By guiding your perspective to the pace of the natural world, this philosophical instrument liberates you from the constraints of industrial clocks and empowers you to experience time as a gift.

Welcome to The Present.


Since 2012, over eight thousand clocks have been made and shipped to owners across forty-two countries worldwide.

Below is a list of the most common benefits of The Present, according to over 

150 testimonials

.

  • Cultivate a deeper relationship with what it means to be present.

  • See change play out in a more meditative, abundant, and forgiving pace. 

  • Enjoy a precision-engineered original work of art made in Vermont and crafted for longevity. 

  • Give your space a dynamic conversation piece to inspire dialogue and personal reflection. 

  • Join a global community changing the way we see, think about, and value time.

The video below launched the concept back in 2011. We have come a long way from the original prototype seen here. We are now on our seventh edition!


    Crafted with Care

    The Present is precision-engineered and thoughtfully crafted to remain accurate for decades.

    Since 2012, every custom component has evolved across seven different editions of The Present. 

    After all of this time, what remains is a remarkable work of functional art with a 20-year warranty. It is designed to last for decades beyond the warranty.

    If you ever have an issue, even after the twenty years passes, let us know. Every part is replaceable as needed, ensuring longevity and reliability.

    Each timepiece is assembled in Vermont and is packed with a notecard signifying its limited edition authenticity.

     



    About the Founder

    Scott Thrift is reshaping how we experience time with his life’s work, The Present.

    With a background in film studies, Scott co-founded the Emmy award-winning production company  'm ss ng p eces.' His extensive travels and documentation of diverse design processes informed a unique global perspective on the human condition.

    Anxious for time to have more meaning and for the moment to last longer than a single second, he created The Present, to help bring himself and anyone else interested into greater harmony with the natural world.

    A bestseller at the MoMA Design Store, Scott's timepieces are now in thousands of homes across forty-two countries.



    Since 2012


    Thrift has made and shipped over eight thousand timepieces. He could not have done this without the help of dozens of partners and thousands of individual backers worldwide.

    The latest edition is the seventh generation, crafted with industrial design help from Che-Wei Wang & Taylor Levy of the award-winning design duo CW&T.

    It features a first-of-its-kind clock movement engineered by Josh Levine of josh.com to run for decades on the included batteries.

    The Present Icon and communication design is a collaboration with the artist Jonathan Harris.

    What's it like to live with The Present?

    Visit our Testimonial page to find out. 

    Visit Thrift's LinkedIn here.

     

    The Present Inc.

    Founded in 2012, after a decade in NYC, The Present's headquarters is now located in Burlington, Vermont, the country's fresh-air capital.


    We meticulously craft and assemble each timepiece by hand. The latest edition of The Present is its seventh, guided by feedback from our valued international community.

    Thank you for reading!


    Let us know if you have any other questions by messaging us at:

    hello @ thepresent dot is

     

    This picture was made on February 16th.

    And this picture was made on March 21st.