We sometimes lament the end of days when tinkerers like Leonardo da Vinci crafted amazing gadgets using a mix of art and mechanics, rather than today’s computer code. That old-school approach is what makes the beautifully designed automaton clock called Plock, created by 22-year-old Kango Suzuki, so amazing to behold.
Crafted using 407 hand-carved wooden moving pieces, the clock actually writes the time on a small panel at its center. A series of weights that hang from the bottom of the clock aid in the motion of the wooden parts which control four magnetic stylus pens that write the 24 hour format time on a magnetic drawing board.
A student at Japan’s Tohoku University of Art and Design, Suzuki says the project took over six months to create, from planning to execution, according to WithNews. The Plock was demonstrated to the public last week at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
Sure this isn’t the most practical clock in the world, but it’s proof that we can still look to Japan for unexpected innovation, even when it’s inspired by the old world.
Originally Published at Mashable
