The Present currently ships within a few days.

The following update outlines the expedited shipping options for any remaining pre-order customers who purchased The Present at a substantial discount.

Hello,

I hope this message finds you well and you can glimpse the full Moon tonight.

I’m excited to bring you this month’s update where I’ll clarify the expedited shipping options I previewed last month.

The options I shared last month are tied to delivery windows. They were not meant to be read as ultimatums; they were options to gauge interest and garner feedback.

Based on everyone’s feedback, here are the three options with as much clarity as I can mustard.

Option One: Expedited Shipping
​Pledge becomes Store Credit
​(Available for One More Month)

This is your last chance to convert your pledge into a gift card equal to your pledge amount. This gift card can be used for any item in our store or to offset the cost of multiple items. Your order will ship within two weeks. To take advantage of this option, please write to me directly with the subject, ‘Gift Card,’ before the next full Moon, February 24th.
​

You will get an email like this from me:

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Option Two: Standard Shipping
Cover Assembly Costs
​(Rolling out by March 21st)

I am thrilled to confirm that we now have fixed prices for this option*, which you can scroll down and peruse at the end of this update. By covering the assembly and packaging costs, your clock will be expedited and guaranteed to ship on or before July 20th.

As we gear up with MSI to streamline this process, you’ll receive a Shopify store link to cover these costs and choose your shipping option.

No action is needed right now if you choose this option.

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Option Three: Economy Shipping
​Sales-Based Fulfillment Process

For those who prefer to opt out of the fixed delivery windows offered, we are committed to fulfilling your original pledge without requiring additional funds outside of shipping costs.
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However, this option does not have a fixed delivery timeline as of now, as it relies on the gradual sale of timepieces to fund the assembly of backer clocks.
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​I will not be able to determine a delivery window for this option untilafter July 20th.
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​This does not mean your pledge will ship on July 21st, it means we will not confirm a delivery schedule until we satisfy option one and option two orders first.

No action is needed right now if you choose this option.

OPTION THREE CONTINUED

There has always been a base option to wait longer and pay nothing.
​At this stage in the project, I had hoped the option to wait and not pay more was implicit, so let me be explicit and reiterate that I will honor my commitment to you in time, though I am not willing to do so at the expense of jeopardizing what we've created together.

Option three has always been happening. When we sell a clock, we use funds from that to buy the time and cover the cost of parts needed to assemble and package another pledge. This method moved too slowly as I focused on assembling rather than generating sales.

The lack of speed was one of the many reasons I sought the help of a reputable assembly firm to enable more certainty. Last month’s update was coming from a place of excitement and relief at being able to confirm delivery windows after all of this time. Confirming a delivery window for you has been my sole purpose for years now.

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Reflecting on our journey together, I haven’t always shared the full extent of our challenges. This wasn’t an oversight but a deliberate choice. The complexities and hurdles of this project have been immense and, at times, frankly overwhelming.

I chose not to burden you with every detail out of respect for your time and mental space, especially considering the global challenges we’ve all been facing. While I’ve opened the door to some issues, the truth is, there’s been much more happening, and it continues to happen behind the scenes.

Nothing worth making is ever easy, and if I had to do it all over again, I would because the result is a dynamic work of art I hope you will be proud to own.

ALL-IN-ALL

I’ve shared roughly half of what we’ve been through to get to where we are today. I never mentioned:

• ongoing complications with defective or broken glass
• 14 different design iterations for the hanging fixture
• workarounds for keeping the magnets from popping out of the cork
• raising the face 2mm to compensate for differences in glass
• a dozen different adhesives we’ve tested for various purposes
• shipping damage bending hundreds of steel rims out of shape
• workarounds for getting those same rims to pressure fit permanently
• figuring out how to minimize glass breaking in overseas shipments

And the ongoing testing of the new movement, which is on its fourth and most stable software update, and much more.

From design iterations, prototyping, production samples, lost rolls of film, a completely new movement, printing errors from three printing facilities, custom everything, budget constraints, and the creative problem-solving behind the refinement of each one of the sixty-two steps to a pristine assembly, every single part of The Present has been redesigned from scratch in this edition.

COSTS

Getting to where we are today and making your timepiece has cost more than double what we raised initially on Kickstarter. None of this is your fault nor your problem; it’s the reality of making a physical thing from scratch that must operate and remain safely installed on the wall for decades. The cost increase in materials, tooling, supply chain, and shipping fees was eye-watering and severe.

COMPROMISE

The shipping options on offer are a reasonable compromise, acknowledging the journey we’ve all been on together to make a creative project like The Present happen.

Kickstarter is about making creative projects happen.

Together, we made The Present happen; it’s happening. With our new vendors and the relationships we’ve built, we can order components and supplies as needed to make these unique gifts indefinitely. Your support was crucial in getting us close to the finish line, and I am forever grateful.

The remaining costs and ongoing tax burden are being absorbed by me through a personal loan, a working capital investment, two business loans, clock sales, personal income, and my modest life savings. I’m not asking for sympathy; I made all these choices on my own. I mention it to offer a more comprehensive view regarding your options as stated.

Kickstarter is a journey into the heart of making a creative project like The Present happen, and it is happening, and you are a part of making it happen.

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MADE TO ORDER

I need you to understand I am not sitting on a bunch of clocks standing by. Every single clock is still made to order by me and shipped by Ssong from our 120 sq ft studio. We are grateful for the opportunity, yet this is not sustainable nor scalable.

WHY MSI?

Partnering with MSI is a strategic decision to expedite assembly and provide you with delivery certainty, even if we must acknowledge the costs of confirming such certainty.

After mastering the Year Glass, MSI has been making the Moon and Day glass and open-face wall clock editions. It is not easy to do well, and they are still learning. This collaboration is a significant step towards fulfilling our commitment to you while maintaining the integrity and quality of our timepieces. That is why I am there weekly, reviewing and refining the process with them.

THE FUTURE OF THE PRESENT

The vision is to bring a definitive end to my clock-making involvement by leaning on MSI for all assembly and fulfillment, allowing me to focus on other critical aspects of The Present, namely, sales and communications.

The more sales we can generate, the more pledges we can afford to assemble, the more we can spend on communications, the more sales we generate, the more pledges we can afford to assemble, and on and on until everyone has their pledge.

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A MEDITATION ON PATIENCE

Besides the physical item you will eventually receive, I hope something else is not lost on you. That something else has been an unprovoked meditation on patience, one of the most essential qualities of being present.

After waiting for so long, just imagine waiting in line at the grocery store. Imagine it is taking longer than usual, and the person in front of you and behind you is becoming vocally flustered; you can crack a soft smile because you have unlocked a profound degree of patience within yourself.
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We have made it so far together on our journey through time.
​
The light is now prominent at the end of an exceptionally long tunnel and having your support and trust in me to deliver has made all of the difference.

I hope today, the next month, and this whole year is as bright as tonight’s full Moon. Thank you, as always, for your continued support, patience, and understanding.

In time,

Scott Thrift

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*Option Two: Detail

The following costs cover all labor, assembly, packaging, handling, and every element to complete your order to my specifications and have it ready to ship.

Steel and Glass Original Wall Clock Assembly Costs are $120 each**
​
Open-faced Matte Wall Clock Assembly Costs are $90 each***

Anyone who does not request a Gift Card before February 24th, will automatically receive, a Shopify link specifically tailored to your order, on or before March 21st.

At that time, and only at that time, you can choose to pay for assembly and expect your order to ship on or before July 20th.
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​You can also choose not to pay; it’s okay, I understand, and I will note you automatically as an option three backer, no need to let me know.

Unless you request a Gift Card before February 24th, you do not need to notify me of your preferred option now or in the future; you will either take advantage of option two when it arrives, or wait for me to contact you with a timeline once those orders are fulfilled.

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Examples of Assembly Costs

**
Glass and Steel: $120 each

EXAMPLE ONE: Pledged for 1 x $300
You will receive a personal Shopify link to pay an additional $120,
where you will enter your address and choose your shipping preference.

EXAMPLE TWO: Pledged for 2 x $300
You will receive a personal Shopify link to pay an additional $240,
where you will enter your address and choose your shipping preference.

EXAMPLE THREE: Pledged for 3 x $300
You will receive a personal Shopify link to pay an additional $360,
where you will enter your address and choose your shipping preference.

***
Open Face Matte Wall Clock: $90 each

EXAMPLE ONE: Pledged for 1 x $150
You will receive a personal Shopify link to pay an additional $90,
where you will enter your address and choose your shipping preference.

EXAMPLE TWO: Pledged for 2 x $150
You will receive a personal Shopify link to pay an additional $180,
where you will enter your address and choose your shipping preference.

EXAMPLE THREE: Pledged for 3 x $150
You will receive a personal Shopify link to pay an additional $270,
where you will enter your address and choose your shipping preference.

ONE MORE TIME

Option One: Get Your Pledge Amount in Store Credit (until Feb 24th)​
Option Two: Pay for Assembly (starts by March 21st)​
Option Three: Continue to wait for us to sell a clock / send a clock.
​
Unless you respond to this email with GIFT CARD,
I do not need to know which option you would prefer right now, thank you.
​
​Your next email from me will be your personal, specific, Option Two offer.

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​
The Present
​104 Church Street.
Burlington, VT 05401
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