There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Sometimes, a meandering minute feels like an hour. Other times, the minutes breeze by too quickly for us to keep up, and it feels as though we’ve missed out.
The creatives at Author Clock have created a delightful solution to give us a little more human connection to that passing time. Every minute, a new literary quote appears. Sure, you say. That’s cool. The twist? Each quote includes the current time.
Setting it up
Author Clock’s setup is a piece of cake, with only a few steps before you’re up and running. You know they had to give a nod to the core purpose with this, so of course… a quote to suit beginnings.
Then a few easy steps through the quick setup, and you’re off to the races.
Clock features
Author Clock has over 13,000 quotes, with more being added regularly. You thought you were going to have a repeat quote at 6:42 each day? Not likely my friend. (Also, is anyone else surprised that there are enough quotes with every time in them to allow multiple options? Just me?)
With built-in Wi-Fi, the Author Clock will update on its own, so you don’t need to worry about anything other than adding books to your Goodreads list.
There are two sizes, aptly named Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Vol. 1 is a compact 4.3 inch display that rests on a brass base, great for arm’s length viewing. Its bigger sibling is larger at 7.8 inches, allowing for reading at a further distance, with a removable brass base so that the clock can be mounted. With an e-ink display that looks like paper, the mounting option is an interesting concept. At first glance, it could appear as a framed page cut out of a favorite book. Well played.
The housing itself is solid white oak, which always looks nice and clean. The crown and base are polished brass, matching nicely, while the front bezel is made from recycled ABS plastic. These details come together to form a simple, unassuming product that would look great in any aesthetic.
While the battery life seems great so far, Author Clock will need to be charged eventually. It comes with its own USB-C cable (because there’s a good chance you’ve lost any others you’ve had, even though you just saw it last week), but depending on settings, your clock could last for several months without a charge.
Author Clock supports English, French, Spanish, and German, with each language curated by the editorial team to ensure accuracy. On top of that, a few different options for font selection allow the owner to customize the appearance how they like.
Built with sustainability in mind
In addition to all of these charming features, the team at Author Clock has sustainability in mind. Shipped without plastic, all packaging is recyclable, and several components are made with recycled materials, as mentioned previously.
The clock also uses ultra-low power electronics to reduce its electricity consumption and environmental impact. If that isn’t enough, a tree will be planted through One Tree Planted for each Author Clock purchased. The logic behind this? “Perhaps, years from now, its branches and leaves will give shade to an author as they scribble down notes for their next novel.”
Things to note
While we’re loving the Author Clock, there are a few small things that felt important to note.
As with any e-ink product, the response time is a little slower than we’re used to with our other lightning-fast devices. For example, when turning the crown through options in the settings menu, it took about a second to bump from one option to the next.
Between quotes, the screen goes dark for a quick moment, which will happen with any e-ink display. If this is distracting, we recommend not having it in your immediate peripheral, like beside a TV or on the desk beside your workspace.
While this isn’t a downside per se, it’s important to mention that the Author Clock does not have an alarm function. In fact, it has no audio whatsoever. Truthfully, this is somewhat refreshing. It’s a nice throwback to the good ol’ analog days.
Summary
Honestly, the longer I have my Author Clock, the more I enjoy it. It’s fun to walk by it on a shelf and, rather than just wondering what time it is, stop and take a moment to read the quote. It slows me down here and there, piquing my curiosity and helping me remember the subtle joys of a well-told story.
“Time flames like a paraffin stove / and what burns are the minutes I live.”
― Irving Layton, The Selected Poems
