Rotating Gear Desk Clock

Half clock, half kinetic sculpture. A train of exposed metal gears turns continuously alongside the dial, driven by a quiet motor, so the object is always in slow motion rather than sitting still between glances. It is the kind of thing that holds attention on a desk during a long phone call, and the movement is smooth and unhurried rather than fussy.

The frame is metal throughout, standing nineteen centimetres wide and thirty tall on an 8.8 centimetre base, which gives it enough presence to anchor a shelf or a desk corner. The rotation speed is adjustable, so you can set the gears to drift almost imperceptibly or turn at a pace you can follow. The clock itself is a straightforward quartz movement with a clear dial, so it stays useful as well as interesting.

Five colours are offered, from restrained greys and blacks through to a bright orange or lilac if you want the piece to stand out against pale shelving. It is battery powered, so there is no cable to route across a desk. Dust with a dry brush, working around the gear teeth where dust gathers. Keep fingers and long hair clear of the moving gears, and place it out of reach of small children.

• Kinetic desk clock with continuously turning metal gears
• Adjustable rotation speed
• Approximately 19 x 8.8 x 30 cm
• Metal frame and gear train
• Quiet motor and quartz movement
• Available in blue, grey, black, orange or lilac
• Battery powered, no mains cable
• Moving parts: keep fingers, hair and small children clear