Orbital Time – A Minimal Orrery Clock

Orbital Time is a minimal, conceptual desk clock inspired by the mechanics of a heliocentric orrery.

Time is not shown through traditional hands, but through three orbital layers with planets representing seconds, minutes, and hours, rotating around a central sun.
The result is a quiet, contemplative object — not designed for quick reading, but for observation.

The project focuses on simplicity, balance, and material efficiency.
All parts are optimized for FDM printing, with low filament usage, short print times, and a self-explanatory assembly, requiring only a few components and about 15 minutes.

Orbital Time is conceived as a design object first, and a clock second.

Design Highlights

• Minimal cylindrical form with a slight inclination to enhance depth and tridimensionality
• Orbital layout with subtle curvature toward the central sun, forming a shallow parabolic surface
• Clean separation between structure and motion
• Optimized for fast printing and low material consumption
• No complex mechanisms: motion is entirely driven by a standard clock module

Required Components

• Clock Components Kit 011 – Bambu Lab
  (or any equivalent wall clock movement of the same size)
• 1 × AA 1.5V battery
• CA glue (a few drops only)
  ⚠️ Use with care: CA glue fumes may cause whitening on printed plastic
• 3 steel balls for seconds, minutes, and hours
  • Diameters: 4.5 mm, 5.5 mm, 6.0 mm
  • Printable spherical alternatives are included
  • Beads or custom solutions can also be used

Assembly Overview

1. Structural assembly

• Glue the clock module mount adapter to the case
• Three alignment slots help maintain perfect concentricity

2. Orbital disks

• Glue the minutes disk to its 3-arm bridge
• Glue the hours disk to its 4-arm bridge
• Glue the spherical indicators for seconds, minutes, and hours

3. Seconds pin preparation

• Take the seconds hand from the clock kit
• Cut it, keeping only the central pin with its head
• Press-fit this pin into the seconds disk

4. Clock module installation

• Insert the clock module into the case
• Secure it to the mount using washer and nut

5. Final assembly

• Press-fit the disks in this order:
  1. Hours
  2. Minutes
  3. Seconds
• Align all planets at 12 o’clock

If everything is correctly aligned, the dial will naturally form a shallow parabolic surface, flatter at the center.
Finally, glue the central planet to hide the seconds pin head.

Personal Tip — Color Experimentation

The design is intentionally neutral to encourage experimentation.

For a more scientific or educational model look, consider:

• neutral or monochrome colors for the structure and orbital disks
• brightly colored planets as visual focal points

This combination enhances readability and evokes the aesthetic of classic scientific toy models.

Desk or Wall Mounting

Orbital Time can be used both as a desk object or a wall-mounted clock.

• A stand adapter is provided for desk use
• A dedicated desk case version is also available

This flexibility allows the object to shift between a contemplative desk piece and a functional wall clock without altering the core design.