It tells time like a traditional clock, but looks far from anything even remotely traditional. Designed to operate similar to how hubless wheels do, Saul Emmet Quinn’s Holo Clock is deceptively hollow through the center, and uses a series of rotating rings to tell the time.

The Holo Clock’s design is characterized by its beautiful hollow design. While traditional clocks use a set of rotating hands pivoted at the center of the clock’s face, the Holo Clock uses a set of rotating rings with hands on them. The rings are controlled by a stepper motor at the bottom of the clock, and the entire clock comes with a flat base, allowing you to keep it on a tabletop surface and admire ever so often.

While the principle behind the clock is pretty simple, it relies on a handful of precisely designed and assembled tiny parts (as is common with most clocks). The rotating gears which operate the timepiece are exposed and can be viewed on the side of the device, and the entire setup is powered by an Arduino Uno microcontroller that hides in the Holo Clock’s base.

The designer of the Holo Clock goes by the name of saulemmetquinn, and he’s been gracious enough to document his entire process and make all the CAD parts available on his Instructables page. That unfortunately means that the Holo Clock isn’t for sale, although you’re more than welcome to build one of your own. Maybe you could experiment with colors and 3D-printed materials too, to create something even more captivating. I just wish there was a video of this beauty in action!

Designer: Saul Emmet Quinn