Solstice 2.0: A sculptural timepiece that transforms time into art

What if your clock didn’t tick but blossomed?

In a world where time feels like a race, a London-based design studio is inviting us to slow down. Meet Solstice 2.0, a sculptural timepiece that doesn’t just tell time; it moves with it, or let’s say breathes with it.

Created by Animaro and now live on Kickstarter, Solstice 2.0 is a kinetic clock that expands and contracts throughout the day, echoing the rhythm of the sun. It’s not just a clock; it’s a meditation on time itself.

Following the successful delivery of hundreds of original Solstice units to customers around the world in 2018, this new campaign brings key design improvements.

For many of us, time is a source of stress, deadlines, alarms, and the constant pressure to keep up. But before digital clocks and calendars, people told time by watching shadows, sunlight, and the slow arc of the day.

Solstice 2.0 brings that feeling back.

Matt Gilbert, founder and designer at Animaro, said, “When designing the Solstice timepiece, I wanted its movement to represent the passing of time in a way that was beautiful and peaceful, taking inspiration from flowers opening in response to light.”

Inspired by sundials, Solstice 2.0 is a single-handed clock that changes shape over a 12-hour cycle.

At midday, it’s fully open like a flower in full bloom. By 6 p.m., it gently folds in, mimicking the setting sun.

Instead of numbers, it uses dots to mark the hours and half-hours. The movement is so slow, you won’t see it happening—but you’ll feel it.

The clock has two modes: Demo Mode and Clock Mode.

Want to see it in action? Switch to Demo Mode, and the clock completes a full cycle every 60 seconds—perfect for showing off to friends or just watching time unfold like art.

In Clock Mode, the hand completes one rotation every 12 hours, functioning like a traditional clock. It moves slowly, so you won’t see it in motion, but its shape changes subtly throughout the day.

A hidden touch sensor on the lower metal bar lets you switch between Demo Mode and Clock Mode with a simple tap. And when you return to Clock Mode, it automatically resets to the correct time.

Built to Last, and to Impress

Solstice 2.0 isn’t just beautiful; it’s engineered with care.

• Body: Machined from a single block of aluminum for strength and elegance
• Arms: Crafted from hand-oiled walnut wood
• Mechanism: Custom-machined parts with ultra-low friction for silent, smooth movement
• Power: Runs on a 12V adapter with a sleek silver fabric cable (and optional wall-hiding setup). The clock needs AC power to power its internal motor.
• You won’t hear it ticking. You won’t hear it turning. In fact, you won’t hear it at all.

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“We spent months testing motors and gearboxes to make it as quiet as possible,” says Matt Gilbert, founder of Animaro. “The result? A clock that moves in complete silence.”

Its motion is so smooth and quiet, it becomes a calming presence in the room, like a sculpture that breathes with time.

Technical specifications:

Only 80 units of Solstice 2.0 are being released through this Kickstarter campaign. Each one is hand-assembled, making it as much a piece of art as a timekeeper.