Now I understand why no one makes clocks anymore. They're incredibly difficult to make. With all of those tiny intricate parts having to work together in unison, you'd think I was crazy to attempt such a feat. And after seven years of working on the thing, I started to think I was a bit crazy myself. 

Technology (and those obsessed with the idea that technology is everything) hates simplicity and treats the clock as a relic from some antiquated period of long ago meant to be displayed in a museum behind glass as opposed to the centerpiece of your bedroom wall. I saw it as a great opportunity to return us to product design (which is quite different from software design and should not be confused by the linguistics and / or semantics of the day). Don't let them fool ya. 

The Time Machine is an embedded system at its finest. It reveals its inner workings to us in plain sight. I'd argue that this is what good design needs to be. We have way too many things that try way too hard to do too much and end up giving us nothing in return. 

Who needs yet another screen when you could have a beautiful object that does one thing and does it well? Cut the cord, slow down, and let the time pass as intended. And if you want to speed things up, just release the manual brake. 

- G. 

Prototyping the Gear Ring involved figuring out how to design engineer tiny parts for a complicated assembly keeping the profile slim enough to wear comfortably while simultaneously allowing smooth kinetic movement to work in a rotational way. 

Traditionally, static jewelry involves casting in soft metals like gold and silver. But the product demanded stainless steel for the everyday wear and tear these guys would soon endure from hours of spinning. Trying to micro precision machine the parts without having a firm understanding of its assembly would have been expensive and tricky. So, I learned about 3D printing (which was still a relatively "new" technology at the time) and the opportunities that additive manufacturing could offer during the prototyping phase. It proved to be an essential step in figuring out how to take the concept from a 3D model to a functional prototype to a finished piece ready to spin. Once I was able to assemble the parts in plastic, making the transition to stainless steel for production machining became a possibility. It's like creating the parts for a puzzle and then assembling. It's a bit weird and incredibly frustrating, but very satisfying once everything finds its place.

I love these plastic prototypes. I keep them hidden away in the McMaster jar that was once packaging for the screws that went directly into the core part of the ring. These were the first of many to come.

- G.

Gear Ring for sale!
Get your Gear Ring here!

Do you suffer from ADD, ADHD, anxiety, boredom, confusion, depression, irritability, lack of enthusiasm, lethargy, low self-esteem, malaise, mediocrity, restlessness, and or / any combination of those mentioned?

I have the magic cure-all and it takes the form of a small hand-worn gadget. One spin of the Gear Ring is all you need. It’s the spinning salve, rotating rejuvenator, mechanical meditator, and faithful friend you never knew you needed, but now can’t live without..

There's only one place in the world to get this amazing contraption and it's through me, folks. So if you want to spin like the best of them and leave the rest of them behind, get yourself a Gear Ring today. 

- Kinektorman