Portugese studio 2Ø3 (Two O Three) take the classic clock concept a bit further with Orbita, where two overlapping wooden plates with a single demarcation revolve at their specified pace to indicate the passing time.
It’s Orbita’s imperceptible movement that makes the design a rousing example of form and function. The minimalist sculptural object uses only the most basic of elements in its design. “During the project, we have always tried to relate the spinning motions of planets to the passage of time. Our perception of time is made by the rotations of the earth, both on itself (day and night) and around the sun (a year),” explain Two O Three. “The central space of the clock that appears as emptiness arose from the need to represent only, and in all its simplicity, the orbit of the dots. Nothing else matters.”
Ironically, time seems to slow down with Orbita. The clock rids itself of the urgency of ticking hands, presenting instead a steady, zen-like passing of time. More from the studio here and on Instagram.
The Orbita Clock placed second in the first edition of the Guilherme Award, organized by Associative Design.
Images © Two O Three