Your entire year, in a single glance.
The hand of this annual timepiece always points to the present moment at the scale of a year.
One hand.
One revolution a year.
"I just want the makers to know how much unexpected delight it has brought to my life."
Made in and ships from Vermont, USA.
Specs +
- Original movement engineered to last for decades on the included batteries.
- 11" in Diameter (27.94 cm)
- 2.5" from wall (6.35 cm)
- 3 lbs (1.33 kg)
- Custom wide angle lens
- Brushed stainless steel rims precision engineered to pressure-fit over the glass
- Airbrushed Resin/Fiberglass Hand
- Stunning UV Cured Print engineered to resist color drain even in direct sunlight
- Custom cork body from Portugal
- L91 Lithium Batteries Already Installed
- Anodized Backplate
- Installation hardware for flush mount
Warranty +
25 Year Warranty
We stand behind our work.
The Present comes with a twenty-five year warranty.
If anything happens in that time, we can perform a simple remote reset.
Or if there is a more complex issue, let it be known that every component is original and over-engineered for longevity.
If there is ever an issue with The Present, we will either replace it, or refurbish it within reason.
The warranty does not include owner damage, or the cost of shipping to or from Burlington, VT.
After 2051, it will likely continue for much longer before needing new batteries.
What’s in the Box +
An original work of art engineered to last.
(1) The Present - already on
(1) Installation hardware
(1) Personal letter from Scott Thrift
Shipping and Returns +
Each timepiece is made to order.
Ships within one week of order date.
Send it back in excellent shape within the year of purchase date to initiate a refund of your purchase price minus potential restocking costs (arriving with broken glass / damage in shipping)
If there is, at some in the future, an issue with an issue with your timepiece, depending on the circumstance of course, we will either refurbish, or replace your timepiece.
This offer does not include the cost of shipping to or from.
This offer does not include damage caused by the owner, of which we can likely refurbish/replace at cost.
This is a tiny art practice of one person and his partner. I will actually make your timepiece, my partner will pack it up neatly, and we'll take it to the post office.
What is included for installation? +
For drywall, there is a hand-picked anchor and screw complete with an instruction card on how to use both.
The screw has a hand-painted yellow neck indicating the point to which you fasten the screw into the anchor for a perfect fit.
If you are installing on wood, use a sturdy screw or nail.
If you are installing on something else, you probably know what you're doing.
If you don't please let me know.
Falling is practically the only issue with The Present. Please be mindful.
Do not use picture hangers or contact strips; I guarantee you it will fall, in time.
How big and how heavy is this version? +
11" diameter (27.94 cm)
Weighs 3.2 lbs (1.45 kg)
What about Leap Years? +
Short Answer
Leap years are a calendar correction where we collectively decide to add one day to our calendar system every four years.
The "Leap Day" does not exist in relation to the orbit of the Earth and therefore, the orientation of The Present.
The Present doesn’t “add a leap day.”
It turns at the rate of the seasonal (astronomical) year, about 365.2422 days per revolution, which means the hand moves slightly under one degree per day (about 0.9856°/day).
Long Answer
Calendars are built from whole days: 365 or 366.But the year in nature, the cycle that brings the seasons back, is not a whole number of days. It’s about 365.2422 days.
That leftover fraction is why the calendar sometimes inserts February 29 to keep dates aligned with the seasons. The Present is not a calendar.
It doesn’t count days and then insert an extra one. It follows the underlying cycle continuously, so there’s no leap-year “step” to add.
Extended Answer
It helps to separate two ideas:
1) The year in nature (astronomy)
A seasonal year can be defined by an event like:
- Spring equinox → next spring equinox
That cycle is about 365.2422 days (roughly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds). Nature does not give us a year made of neat day-boxes. It gives us a continuous cycle.
2) The year in our calendar (day-boxes)
A calendar is a planning grid. It can only use whole days, so it must choose:
- 365 or 366
If we used 365 every year, the calendar would drift away from the seasons by almost 6 hours per year, so the calendar sometimes inserts a leap day to stay aligned.
Important: The leap day is not an “extra day in nature. ”It’s a repair inside the calendar system.
So what does The Present do?
The Present does not ask “Is this a leap year?” and it does not add a special extra day.
It does one simpler thing: It turns continuously at the seasonal-year rate.
That’s why the hand moves slightly slower than one degree per day:
- 360° / 365.2422 days ≈ 0.9856° per day
If it moved 1° per day, it would finish the circle in 360 days, which is too fast. So it must move just under 1° per day to take a full year.
Why do equinox and solstice dates shift on calendars?
You may notice the equinoxes and solstices don’t always land on the same calendar date (for example, March 20 vs March 21).
That’s normal, and it’s exactly the calendar vs. nature distinction in action.
- The equinox and solstice are precise astronomical moments.
- A calendar date is a 24-hour box with a name.
Those moments can occur at different times of day each year, and depending on your time zone, the event can fall on one date or the next. So, the event is defined by astronomy, but the date label is a human box we attach to it.
Does the year change slightly from one year to the next?
Yes, very slightly.
Real orbital dynamics mean the exact timing of equinox-to-equinox varies by minutes across years.
But on a year-scale clock, that difference is far below what anyone could perceive. Even a few minutes corresponds to only a few thousandths of a degree on the dial.
The practical result is simple: The Present tracks the underlying cycle, the continuous year, not calendar boxes.
It’s an instrument for cosmic orientation.
Does it tell the hour? +
No.
In fact, hours become irrelevant at the scale of an entire year.
How do I set it? +
The Present arrives already on and in time.
After it is assembled by Scott Thrift, he sets it to The Present moment in the studio.
Is it silent? +
Yes.
Live
The Present