Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü is a masterpiece by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, known for using a symbolist language in his poetry and a realistic style addressing social issues in his novels. This book is a cornerstone novel that examines the struggle of the Turkish people between the East and the West.

The book draws its content and themes from its characters: Nuri Efendi (the Clock Master), Mübarek (an old English wall clock), Halit Ayarcı, and the intricate relationship between time, clocks, and humans. The narrative, with Tanpınar's unique symbolic storytelling, transforms as the events unfold, highlighting how people's obsession with popularity and money can lead to sudden changes in their demeanor.

This critical novel satirizes the misguided attitudes and behaviors of a society caught between two civilizations. The story is structured around the memoirs of Hayri İrdal, whose childhood spans the reign of Abdülhamit II, the Constitutional Monarchy, and the Republic periods. The novel is divided into four parts: Great Expectations, Small Truths, Towards the Morning, and Every Season Has an End.