Thief of Time - Tick

Lady LeJean reached out with a gloved hand and touched the side of the clock. 'This is the divider mechanism-' Jeremy began, picking up a crystalline array from the workbench. But her ladyship was still staring up at the clock. 'You've given it a face and hands,' she said. 'Why?'
'Oh, it will function very well in the measurement of traditional time,' said Jeremy. 'Glass gears throughout, of course. In theory it will never need adjusting. It will take its time from the universal tick.'

'Ah. You found it, then?'

'The time it takes the smallest possible thing that can happen to happen. I know it exists.' She looked almost impressed.

'But the clock is still unfinished.’

***

The Thief of Time - p152-153