Grab your wallets, book nerds! This entirely creative gadget, dubbed the Author Clock, is the perfect gadget to help bookworms see what time it is. After all, why leave the task to boring ol’ numbers when you can use all of these neat book quotes instead?
The clever clock is designed by Mechanical Design Labs. He got the idea from a lesser-known short film by New York artist Christian Marclay, called The Clock. The esoteric film is a whopping 24 hours long and filled with more than 12,000 clips from thousands of other movies; each clip in the movie is either a shot of a clock or of a character mentioning the time (that in turn correlates to time within that same 24-hour period). While the film doesn’t exactly scream “gripping narrative,” it’s nonetheless a creative concept that simultaneously pays homage to both cinema at large and the concept of time itself.
Naturally, the idea translates incredibly well to an actual clock you could set on your bookshelf, next to some of the books that are probably featured in its 2,000-plus quote database. Quotes are pre-loaded, and there doesn’t appear to be a way to add your own favorite time-related quotes (or even to request an addition), and are likely pulled from public domain titles.
You’ll have two versions of the clock to choose from from the product’s Kickstarter page. There’s the small 4.6-inch-wide model that’ll last up to two weeks on a single charge, and the larger 7.75-inch model that’ll be a little easier to view from across the room; it lasts for roughly two months per charge.
The mid-century-modern clocks are constructed from recycled ABS plastic and wrapped in an oak wood housing. An electronic paper screen shows you a new quote for each minute in the day, and you have the option to invert the display for heightened contrast or to just view the time like a standard digital clock (but why would you with this?). That’s about it, though; there is no option to change the font, set an alarm, play music, view today’s date, or censor quotes.
One understated bonus of the clock is that it might just feature a quote that helps you find your next book to read. Like the way a character mentioned the time in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina or James Joyce’s Dubliners? Why not read the book and see if you can find the clock’s reference in it!
Interested backers can head to the adorable clock’s Kickstarter page to pre-order yours. The smaller of the two models starts at $99, while the large option starts at $199; there are also discounted deals if you want to purchase two or four at a time (and you can mix and match).
The expected delivery for the bookish gadget is April 2022, and it’s already surpassed its original fundraising goal. As with any product offered on fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, there’s always a risk in placing an order—as in you might never get the clock despite placing an order—but if you’re cool with that, go for it. So far, Mechanical Design Labs has been upfront about supply challenges, though, so hope for the best.
via Gizmodo
