Making time count.
almost 3 years ago
– Fri, Jun 25, 2021 at 02:05:10 PM
Hello,
Welcome to another brief full moon update about making The Present.
There is something curious about the way that The Present, which offers little means of traditional counting, wind up being a time you can truly count on — it's the consistency of each natural cycle that you can "count" on.
The Present Moon — Full — 29.5 day revolution
This is where we left things last month.
In the previous update, I was showing you how The Present icon would be laser etched before being anodized. It was once an idea, then a mock-up and now it is a real thing that will be the backplate for every timepiece.
Oddly typical poor photo quality from the factory floor — but it will do!
From idea into the etched, sand-blasted, anodized metal backplate.
Post-Etch — Pre-Sandblast/Anodize Bath
The Present Movement
Here is where we left things with our special gearbox.
Old boards melted and removed.
Testing the process of building 24 movements.
2 minutes was my best assembly time.
I was a little concerned about the DIY nature of the new movement but the more I get into the flow of the soldering process, the more it actually makes sense to make these in-house moving forward. It's thrilling to craft an original electronic device.
Fixing time.
A clock owner dropped her wall clock resulting in a slightly damaged edge. This is the replacement face that I applied before sending it back to her. I mention it to assure you that if there is ever anything wrong with your clock there is a very good chance that it can be fixed.
The Present Day
All domestic annual movements have shipped.
Original 2012 Annual Movement with Auto-Set
All international shipments will be arriving on or before July 2nd.
In case you missed the instruction email:
Instructions to The Present
The movement you will receive is the first of its kind. It was custom engineered, programmed, and assembled in Germany by a company founded in 1899. It exists because I found myself either being anxious about the future or ruminating about the past, all the while missing the present itself.
What was needed was a tool to help understand the quiet, consistent nature of the present; the middle path between the polarizing nature of the future and the past. Together, with backers around the world, we've made an instrument that points to the ineffable quality of time.
I've included a pair of hands in each box, one large, one small.
Caring for The Present
The Heart of The Present is stable, resilient, and with care, it will last many years into the future. To care for it simply change the batteries once every four years to prevent inevitable battery leakage from old batteries. Not designed for use with rechargeable batteries.
If you ordered clocks in addition to this movement, you should expect those to begin shipping this fall alongside everyone else. I am always here for questions and I'm grateful for your pledge. Thank you so much for being a part of The Present.
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Very much looking forward to having all of the parts in one place to begin assembling for you soon.
See you on the bright evening of July 23rd.
In time,
Scott Thrift
The Present Movement
almost 3 years ago
– Thu, May 27, 2021 at 12:03:52 AM
A brief history of more time.
This is the original prototype of a 365-day movement. Completed in Brooklyn, NY - 09/2011
A 365-day movement made in the Black Forest of Germany, 2012
24-hour movement made in Germany, 2016
This is the reliable heart of the 24-hour rhythm of The Present Day.
Pop it open.
Find the gearbox the new movement requires.
It was there all along.
This will work as the Gearbox for the new movement.
Time tested.
The gears themselves are guarded by the existing 24-hour based circuit board.
On the other side of this chip, the gears will be ours to accurately extend time.
Before we do anything we must melt and remove this board.
In this video, I utilize tools to craft electronics.
While reviewing the last round of production-ready samples, I thought I would be reading 'The Present' etched into the back of these backs but to my surprise, it was the icon. It's far too late for any more changes so it's going to look like this.
I'm okay with that. No changes. No way.
However, I did gently ask them to laser etch the icon before anodizing. The photo below is a mock-up that gives a good sense of what reversing that process will look like.
Components are piling up and we are currently still in the calm before the storm of assembly and shipping. We must remember to have this same calm with us when things start to get choppy!
To brighter days and fleeting nights.
In time,
Scott Thrift
Life is a two player game.
about 3 years ago
– Tue, Apr 27, 2021 at 06:21:11 PM
Good Timing (ship date)
The project was released on July 20th, 2020.
By July 20th of 2021, tens of thousands of clock components will be housed in a single location for assembly in the summer and shipping in the fall.
New Leaves
Life is a two-player game.
We've reached an important stage in this game, thank you for your consistent patience. There is no longer a need for alterations to the prototypes and production is now underway. This is good. Not much else to report. Thank you for your help.
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What is a long time anyway?
As someone keen to explore the depth of time, there is a certain range that always feels incomprehensibly deep. How can one grasp a number as absurd as 200 million years?
Look at this magnificent vision of Earth — as it is.
Down at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, the mid-Atlantic Ridge emits raw earth, evenly spreading the seafloor apart at a rate comparable to the growth of human fingernails. (no need to show an image of human fingernails for obvious reasons)
Mid Atlantic Ridge
To help anyone better encompass the scale of 200 million years, for your own frame of reference, consider that around 200,000,000 years ago, South America and Africa looked something like this.
The way we were.
The Atlantic Ocean practically did not exist, 200 million years ago.
What's the takeaway?
Rate of fingernail growth x 200,000,000 years = Width of Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is 200 million yearswide.
An ocean planet tidally locked into the poetry of motion.
It won't be 200 million years before you get your clocks.
You will own one of the first editions of The Present, and this time around, no one knows how long these are going to continually operate into the future. My curiosity compels me to live long enough to find out just how long a long time can be. What if one of these time-giving gifts actually works like a charm for decades or more? Only time will tell.
Bright Night
about 3 years ago
– Mon, Mar 29, 2021 at 10:02:09 PM
The Present Moon (Full)
First Bloom
Setting Expectations
Spring - Component Production
Summer - Clock Assembly & Packaging
Fall - Global Clock Distribution
Key Insights from this update:
Duggal was able to print a seamless gradient effect from dark to light + Year & Day!
Pressure fit steel encasement for glass is a success, retooling approved.
Backplate look and texture approved.
Thousands of microchips are inbound to Brooklyn, NY.
Annual movements have arrived from Germany.
SPRING 21
Right this way to a whole new way of seeing time.
Awkward hug pantomime with Marina from Duggal
The reveal
Yes!
Touchy Feely
Over the ear shot + Center Moon Print is the winner
Showing off a prototype
In time, March 23rd
April 2019
PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE
This spring marks two years since CWT and I have been batting around ever more streamlined versions of The Present. We are now 97 different versions into making these timepieces timeless. A welcome sense of relief is building knowing that the pre-production "measure ninety-seven times, cut once" phase is coming to a close.
2000 custom glass pieces produced and standing by.
720 Annual Movements arrived on Friday!
Original Annual Movements from Germany
Stainless steel pressure fit rims + Machined aluminum backplate, bead blasted and anodized grey.
In the light
The first prototype had a bad overbite in certain areas.
It was also not fitting snugly enough against the cork.
We had to fix that.
FIXING THE RIM
Production Prototype One from December
That's a no-no
We solved this problem by retooling each part so that the front ring has a definite end point. It does not matter how hard you press the pieces together the endpoint remains even all the way around the rim.
Retooled and fixed.
I am so happy with this detail, it really lifts the piece up. A pressure fit is the way I always wanted to make the glass capture happen, sometimes it takes many, many years of development to get it right.
Custom pressure fit stainless steel rims tightly hold the glass in place without screws.
All backs will be debossed with The Present. This was a centering guide for the manufacturers.
The back plate you see below is the final version, it is only missing The Present debossed into the metal.
Final cork will look much cleaner, this is a machined prototype.
Above is the same texture and color as the final but I felt the icon did not fit here as well as I thought it would. It makes more sense for it to simply have The Present on the back so that when you give it as a gift, the giftee, will understand that they've been given The Present.
Brushed stainless steel and bead blasted stainless back plates did not age well. They easily mar and are also fingerprint canvasses. The bead blasted, anodized aluminum keeps fingerprints hidden. The version to the right is the final. However, it will be as thick as the greenish grey piece on the lower left.
Fingerprint holder
THE LANGUAGE OF CREATIVITY
Steven Leavitt reached out to find out more about what I'm up to with time. He was gracious enough to feature me on his podcast The Language of Creativity. Steven lives with The Present Day and also has 'something.' so it felt like talking to an old friend. If you are reading this Steven, thanks so much for your time and the opportunity to share my story.
For the backers who purchased The Heart of The Present, now that the movements are here I will be sending you some options for your consideration. Yes I will be using the newly designed movements for all of the present and future clocks. That said, this original movement is amazing. I'll be sending you a survey to see if you want me to ship in the next month or if you want to wait until December / January for the newer model.
Again, I did not know I would have a completely reengineered movement at this stage in the game.
I sincerely appreciate your patience with me as this slow motion transition takes place.
MICROCHIPS.COM....?
I did not know microchips.com existed last week. Now I am waiting on a few thousand of these little smart squares to show up at my apartment in Brooklyn. We are entering a new phase of The Present together.
WOW
Did you see the latest photo from the team at Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration?
Excruciatingly mysterious!
TIMING
I know things may have felt slow so far as pre-production can definitely be tedious. I've learned to love each part of the production phase so I am enjoying remaining present for the rollercoaster of challenges. I am grateful to be able to realize this dream with the direct help of so many backers from around the world. I hope you are taking the cue from nature and pushing things into bloom this spring for yourself. Or if you are on the other side of the planet, Iwish you a fruitful harvest season!
Once more...
Living with The Present Moon is really something. I mean, all three clocks are ways to make friends with time. It's just that with the moon, I'm finding out what's new and valuable about it for the first time and it never fails to get me hyped about making these and getting them out to you this fall. Thank you for your backing, encouragement and patience as we move forward.
2021 Equinox — Part One
about 3 years ago
– Sat, Mar 20, 2021 at 09:06:29 PM
Hello,
The following is a brief update on the first equinox of 2021.
A New Leaf
I have some good news to share with you for the upcoming full moon update on March 28th. In the meantime (nicetime?) I wanted to let you in on this neat thing that happened regarding the new movement.
Since the board is being custom made for The Present, I asked Josh if it would be possible to have the The Present icon etched into the board itself. Now, admittedly, it would have no practical function other than looking especially wondrous but I had to ask, right?
It turns out that it is totally possible and will absolutely happen.
We are still waiting for them to arrive so I can photograph them for you in person but this is what we are expecting to see.
Real Gold /Real Silver
Precious metals are used on Printed Circuit Boards for functional longevity, which means that the icon will be rendered in either actual silver or gold. It will be an extremely thin layer of precious metal but I repeat, the icon will be rendered in real silver or real gold. I will not make up my mind on which precious metal to use until I see them in my hands but I sense that it is going to feel so rewarding to see that icon there shining in gold or silver. I love the icon of The Present if you haven't noticed.
For reference, here is a basic map of what makes up the new Heart of The Present.
Drumroll...I will be reviewing the first round of prints from Duggal on Tuesday afternoon here in Brooklyn. Hopefully they were able to successfully print the deceptively challenging graphic of The Present Moon. Not only will I be reviewing multiple prints, I will also be taking a look at three different potential printing methods. Regardless if they nailed it the first time out or not, it's going to be an exciting day and I am thrilled to be able to share the progress with you soon.
Thank you for your patience and for all of the enthusiastic comments on the last update.
I will see you on the evening of the next full moon, until then, stay safe.
