Digital Horology in Freeland builds solar, tide and moon-aware clocks

In Freeland, Dorian Garson runs a small family business called Digital Horology that builds clocks designed to track the sun, show moon phases and predict tides. The operation, active since 2023, produces finished timepieces in wood or metal that use onboard electronics to drive visible mechanical displays and environmental alerts, a family member identified as Miller‑Garson summed up: “The clocks connect people to the world around them.”

Garson has focused on practical, planet-aware features. The HelioKron sun clock tracks the sun’s movement and includes an audible element that chimes one hour before sunset, half an hour before sunset and at sunset. A photographer’s caption documents the HelioKron in action: “The HelioKron tracks the movement of the sun, chiming when sunset is near.” The LunaKron moon clock is offered in various sizes and displays lunar phase; a photo caption reads: “The moon clock, known as the LunaKron, comes in various sizes,” and another image shows Garson with a LunaKron displaying a waxing crescent on Feb. 18.

Tide prediction is handled by a separate device that pairs a GPS module with federal tidal tables. The tide clock “uses its GPS unit to figure out where it is in the world,” then applies NOAA tidal data to generate local predictions, a combination Garson describes as making the device an extremely accurate predictor of tides. Building that capability required tight software engineering; Garson said, “Getting all of the data to fit on this tiny little chip with very little RAM was a challenge.”

Technically, the devices blend visible mechanics and electronics — an original description of the line calls them “digital and mechanical hybrids” — and the finished units incorporate GPS modules, LED lights and a computer chip running the clock firmware. For the simpler sun and moon models, Garson relies on time and date calculations rather than external data, while the tide unit depends on location-aware NOAA integration. Garson also explained the local relevance of the moon clock: “Especially around here where you can’t look up at the moon to see what phase it’s in,” Garson agreed. “It’s cloudy, and half the time the moon’s below the horizon.”

Most sales flow through an Etsy storefront under the Digital Horology name, with a few pieces on display at Fare Market in Freeland that have attracted local shoppers. Garson reports a handful of international orders as well: “I’ve shipped several to Switzerland, which is an honor, selling clocks to the Swiss,” he said. Photographs accompanying Garson’s work were taken by David Welton, whose captions include the HelioKron and LunaKron notes and the Feb. 18 LunaKron image.

Since 2023 Garson has built and sold these handcrafted, firmware-driven timepieces from Freeland, combining GPS, NOAA data and compact electronics to offer residents and buyers beyond Island County clocks that mark sunsets, moon phases and tides with both visual displays and audible cues.