There’s more than one way to tell time, as the owners of a small family business in Freeland can attest.

Since 2023, Dorian Garson has been building unique timepieces that track the sun’s movement, display the phases of the moon and predict the tides. Known as Digital Horology, the online shop sells clocks that contain various electronic devices, including a GPS module, LED lights and a computer chip with the program installed on it. The finished product is encased in wood or metal.

“It’s nice because it combines all of his loves – it’s the coding, it’s the electronics and the woodworking,” Garson’s wife, Michelle Miller-Garson, said.

With his background as a software developer, Garson has the technical know-how, but there are skills that the others contribute.

“Mimi has an art degree, she’s very artistic and creative,” Garson said of Miller-Garson. “I always bring the designs to her first.”

In addition, the couple’s daughters, Emily and Sophie, help with assembly of the clocks and social media for the business.

The most complex product to make, the tide clock called NautiKron, is also the most popular. It uses tidal data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stations and substations, which number over 2,000.

“Getting all of the data to fit on this tiny little chip with very little RAM was a challenge,” Garson said.

The clock uses its GPS unit to figure out where it is in the world, which combined with the NOAA data makes it an extremely accurate predictor of tides.

The sun (HelioKron) and moon (LunaKron) clocks, on the other hand, are simpler and utilize the time and date. The HelioKron is equipped with a sound element that chimes an hour before sunset, a half hour before sunset and directly at sunset. Miller-Garson said the clocks connect people to the world around them.

“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 of the clocks are sold through Etsy under the same name of the business, Digital Horology. A few are on display at Fare Market in Freeland, which have caught the eye of some customers.

“I’ve shipped several to Switzerland, which is an honor, selling clocks to the Swiss,” Garson said.

He and his family are always thinking of new kinds of clocks to make, with an exciting new project on the horizon.

For more information about the business, visit digitalhorology.com.

(Photo by David Welton) The HelioKron tracks the movement of the sun, chiming when sunset is near.

(Photo by David Welton) The moon clock, known as the LunaKron, comes in various sizes.

(Photo by David Welton) Dorian Garson with the LunaKron, which shows a waxing crescent moon on Feb. 18.