The sculpture is large, in proportion to its setting. The large wheel is three feet (90 cm) in diameter, and the horizontal pendulum is ten feet (3 metres) from end to end.

In terms of clockwork, it is very simple, with only two wheels in the power train (most mechanical clocks have four or five). It makes use of sixteen ball bearings to reduce wear and friction and to provide long, maintenance free operation. It is designed for a life measured in centuries.

All designs and design concepts used in this work are original to Brendan Reilly. Every component of this work, including glass, wood, and metal, was hand crafted by Brendan Reilly

Woods: The frame is the Mexican exotic hardwood, bocote. The works (wheels, etc.) are laminated Baltic birch, which is dimensionally stable. The hands are red oak.

Pendulum: This type of pendulum, the horizontal compound temperature compensated pendulum, is, to the best of his knowledge, completely original. Its motion is very slow, with a beat of three seconds.

The horizontal bar is steel tubing. The vertical rod is turned aluminum. The pendulum ends are fused glass, q.v. The purpose of the horizontal component of the pendulum is to slow down the pendulum motion through its high moment of inertia. The vertical component provides the force that restores the pendulum to the centre position during each swing. Temperature compensation is provided by the different coefficients of expansion of the aluminum vertical component and the steel horizontal component so that the clock keeps time regardless of temperature.

Fused glass: The dial and pendulum ends are of fused glass. Brendan cuts, arranges, and fires the glass in a kiln heated to 1300 – 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. The pieces then fuse together into a single piece. The various glass colours chosen are selected to have the same coefficient of thermal expansion, or the piece will shatter. Brendan uses Spectrum “System 96” glass throughout. More information about fused glass is available at www.warmglass.com.

Weights and winding: The mechanism is hand wound using a key at the base of the main frame. The system used is the endless loop type invented by the Dutch scientist Huygens in the seventeenth century. This system maintains power to the clock while it is being wound. It runs for about 100 hours on a single winding.

Escapement: This mechanism keeps the pendulum in motion. It is a variation of the Graham deadbeat type commonly used in grandfather clocks, but Brendan uses rollers as pallets to reduce friction and wear. He mounts the rollers in ball bearings.